Danger is a Dame
by Lubadub
Summary: Eric Northman is a world famous author crippled by the loss of his wife. When he meets a certain curvaceous Southern Belle, will his life ever be the same? AH/AU/OOC Lemons and language warnings.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So after reading the amazing works of the writers here in the Sookieverse, I've been inspired to write my own. Please be kind; I used to write fanfics during high school, this is my first fictional writing in nearly 8 years and my first time using these characters. Gotta love that Sookie/Eric nookie. This is my first attempt at an AH/AU story. The concept popped into my head last night and kept me up until I promised my psyche I would write this chapter today. It's unbeta'd so all mistakes are mine. Expect swearing and lemons in the future. I might be allergic to citrus in real life, but I think it's safe to play with it online.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, that's Charlaine Harris' job. Like Alan Ball, I'm just taking them and making them do whatever I want. **

The cursor was mocking him. He was convinced the electronics in his home were against him as he stared at the blank document, cursor blinking away. The internet and cable were down, he couldn't find his iPod to save his life, and had read every book that lined the shelves of his New York apartment so he was left on his laptop. One can only play so many hands of solitaire before you contemplate taking your own life. That left him with his last resort, get back to writing.

He'd barely written anything in three years. Three years is a long time when you're a world known author with a New York Times best selling series of detective novels. The fans wrote to him, begging for the next adventure of Alexander Danger, a Dick Tracy-esque Private Investigator for hire and noted ladies' man. He remembered the reviews fondly, looking along the walls of his study at the framed articles.

"Northman blazes his way onto the crime drama scene…"

"This is one sequel that won't disappoint; Northman's second attempt even better than the first…"

"Third time is the charm for Northman; _A Destiny of Danger_ contains his best work yet…"

"Sex scenes will ignite the loins of every reader, regardless of gender… "

He smiled at the last one in particular. He was always complimented on his ability to write a passionate coupling. Too bad he hadn't had his own romantic tryst since that fateful night those three long years ago.

His mind began to wander down that awful path again. The phone call that changed his entire life; his love, his wife, his muse, the sole reason he left his homeland of Sweden for New York, his Felicia had been struck by a drunk driver while walking home from a night out with her girlfriends. Waiting patiently, expectantly at her bedside while monitors beeped around him. The rush of doctors that forced him out of the room as they tried in vain to once again resuscitate her. The spiraling depression, the loneliness, the agoraphobia, the mind numbing guilt, the multiple suicide attempts. If he hadn't been so absorbed in writing the third book, she wouldn't have been bored at home looking to her girlfriends for a night of fun. He should have gone with her; he would have told her to take a taxi. He could have protected her.

He frowned, trying to shake himself out of this pity party for one. His editor and only remaining friend, Pam, would be coming over in less than an hour to read what he had written. She had contacted him a month ago to urge him to get back to his writing. She had barely been able to convince him to finish the third novel, told him it would be a great way to channel his grief. She thought that would be the best therapy to getting his life back on track. It was too bad his only inspiration was six feet under. He heard the snoring of his constant companion, his golden retriever Clancy. Looking down underneath the desk, Clancy's feet were twitching, _At_ _least one of us can have good dreams_, he thought.

_Maybe I'll write about Danger getting a dog. There has to be a plot in there somewhere. Probably not. God, can't I just kill him off and be done with this torture. Can't do that, Pam would probably just assume I want to kill myself again and hire another of those insipid home nurses to babysit me 24/7._

He was snapped out of his reverie by a knock at the door. Clancy jumped up, running to the offending noise that dared to wake him from his nap, barking at the potential intruder. Eric stretched his long frame and followed suit to allow Pam entrance to his Fortress of Solitude. He was stiff, his legs nearly cramping as he walked the length of the living room. He peered through the peep hole; of course it was Pam, who else would it be? He opened all three locks before stepping back to let her in. Clancy immediately quieted down, excited to see his only other human friend. Besides, whatever was in her arms smelled delicious.

Thankfully she had brought dinner, Chinese takeout. That was one of his major flaws, he would get trapped in his mind and forget to eat. Pam came by with food several times a week just to be sure he ate something. He was thankful for her friendship even if she was a pain in the ass at times. He got the feeling from the smirk on her face that tonight would be one of those times.

"Evening Eric. Should I even bother asking to see what you have written for the fourth book?"

"Hey Pam. Asking would be a total waste of time. Once again, the only thing on my screen is a blank page. Pass the duck sauce."

They ate dinner in comfortable silence. Pam would occasionally bring up some trivial topic that popped in her head, trying to lure Eric into a conversation but his one word answers put a stop to that. As they finished eating, she began to dig in her briefcase as if looking for something. He prayed it wasn't a contract. If he was contractually obligated to write something, he would feel terrible at missing deadlines. She pulled out a few forms and a plastic card and passed them to him over the table.

"You signed me up for a gym membership?"

He gave his friend a glance while directing her gaze to the treadmill that was next to the wall of windows that overlooked Central Park. He ran there for an hour or more every morning in addition to Clancy's daily walks through the park. He had no use for this.

"You need to get out of the house. You need to interact with human beings. Besides, you'll need to put some meat back on your skinny bones for the book tour when you eventually get this fourth novel written."

He shot her a look that could kill in other circumstances. He looked down at his body noting he had lost a great deal of weight, most of it muscle mass, over the last few years. He got up silently and walked over to the mirror near the front door. He glanced at his reflection, barely recognizing himself. His once short cropped blonde hair and smooth face had transformed into straw strands that grew way past his shoulders and scruff covered his jaw.

_When was the last time I shaved? Better yet, when was the last time I had a hair cut?_

Could Pam be right? Was it actually time to leave the apartment and get back to real life? Everything he needed for the past three years was ordered online and delivered to him; he only left the apartment for Clancy's sake. That's probably why Pam adopted him for Eric when Felicia died. She had said something about unconditional love and companionship. Had she also implied getting your lazy mourning ass out of bed?

He looked to Pam, whose eyes had not left him since he abandoned the dinner table. He gave her a weak smile; it was all he could muster. Eric walked back over to the table and looked at the paperwork. It was for a gym located around the corner from his building. He could manage that walk right, a few hundred feet? He wouldn't even have to cross the street. First things first however, he would have to fix his hobo-like appearance to something that resembled a human being.

He was determined at that moment to start tomorrow a new man and rejoin society. If the decision was so simple why did it scare the crap out of him?

He woke the next morning to the sun pouring into his window. He began his routine just like every other day before it; bathroom, coffee, breakfast for him and Clancy, treadmill? He glanced at the treadmill as if climbing on it would be the most farfetched concept ever.

_Not today_, he thought, _today I'm going to the gym_.

He showered, shaved the offending hairs from his face, dressed comfortably, and attached the leash around Clancy's collar to start their daily stroll through the park. Typically, Eric avoided eye contact with everyone he encountered but today he was starting over. He made a point to maintain eye contact with a few different people, especially those with dogs. Dog owners could look at other dog owners without it being weird, right? He had nearly forgotten all his social norms after living a hermit's existence. After a successful jog, he went to a nearby barber shop. He knew the owner from years past, and hoped they wouldn't mind his furry companion in the place of business. Thankfully, when they walked through the doors just after 10 a.m. it was fairly quiet. The pre-work rush had ended and those seeking a quick cut during lunch wouldn't start coming in for a few hours.

The barber, _excuse me, stylist_, told him to grab a seat and lead Clancy to an open space in the waiting area. A lot of people must bring their dogs with them nowadays since they had a jar of dog treats waiting on the counter. The stylist, who identified himself as Claude, came over and looked at Eric through the mirror barely hiding the disgust in his eyes.

_I used to think I was handsome. Fans told me they thought I was hot all the time. What have I let happen to myself?_

"What can I give you today Mr…"

"Northman, Eric Northman. Um, I guess something modern. I'm not looking for a crew cut, but I'd like to cut most of this off. A fresh start, so to speak."

"I know just what you need. Just trust me and let me work my magic. You know, this looks long enough to make a donation. Would you be interested in donating your hair to Locks of Love, where it will be used to make wigs for children with cancer?"

"I'd love to! Take however much you need to."

That made Eric feel better about himself. A fresh start, indeed, for more than one person. Claude tied the long hair in a rubber band and cut it off in a few snips of the scissors. Eric could feel the weight lifted, metaphorically and physically. He and Claude spoke sparsely during the cut.

"I used to come here often," Eric began, "and the shop was owned by a man, I think his name was Niall. Does he still work here?"

"I'm actually Niall's grandson. He sold the shop to me when he was ready to move back home. I transformed it into a proper salon, not that archaic barber shop he used to run. Speaking of transformations…"

He turned Eric's chair to face the mirror. For the second time in as many days, Eric could barely recognize himself. Claude had cut a great deal of hair off, leaving behind pieces that were slicked back with some type of product and ended at the top of his neck. He truly was a new person.

"Claude, this is amazing! What do I owe you?"

"Nothing actually. When you donate your hair, the cut is free."

Well today most certainly had an excellent start. To compliment the work Claude had done, Eric left him a sizable tip that most certainly made the stylist's day. Eric crossed over back to his building walking through the lobby attracting the stares of everyone there. The staff all complimented him on the new look while some of the other residents stared with slack jaws at the once again attractive Swede. He reached the elevators and rode up the 10 flights with a smile on his face. He felt untouchable, some of his old personality shining through the shell of the past few years.

He dropped Clancy off, making sure he had enough water in his bowl. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and there sitting on the counter was his once missing iPod.

_Why is this sitting here and why couldn't I find it yesterday? Would you look at that, it even has a full charge. Today is going to be a good day._

He rode back down, crossed the lobby once again and headed down the street. Upon entering the gym, he swiped his new membership card through the reader at the front door and shot the young girl sitting there a big smile.

"It's my first time here, would you mind telling me where I could find everything?"

"Of course not, Mr. Northman," his name must have appeared when he scanned his card.

After a brief overview of the layout, he was climbing the stairs to the cardio room. He found an empty treadmill and began to run. He flipped through the albums on his iPod trying to find good workout music. He gave up when he realized he would never drown out the volume of the televisions without blowing out his ear drums.

_Note to self, choose a machine far away from the TVs._

He ran for nearly an hour starting brief conversations with those around him.

_Start life over, check. Restart human contact, check._

Then his whole world, his amazingly perfect day came to a peak. It started with the bobbing of a long blonde ponytail. He followed the flaxen hair to a beautifully round face with piercing blue eyes. She was wearing tight spandex workout clothes, black with pink highlights running down the sides. They most certainly hugged every curve of her body, and by God were there curves of her body. She chose a machine a few rows ahead of his and began to work out. He could barely take his eyes off the swell of her ass as her muscles contracted and relaxed under the motions of the elliptical runner she used.

_I most certainly have forgotten how to act like a human. _

As if his fascination couldn't be greater, she began to sing while she ran, apparently along with the tunes of whatever played in her iPod. He didn't recognize it; even before his isolation he never liked modern music. He preferred songs written before he was born. The one exception to that rule was ABBA. Every Swede has a tender spot in their hearts for the pop sounds of their nation's most well known band.

If his day couldn't get any better, he finally recognized the lyrics of the next song that spilled from her sweet lips. They were the opening lines of Dancing Queen.

_Well shit, _he thought, _I'm most certainly fucked._


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Holy Cow, 205 hits since I posted? That is unbelievably flattering and humbling. I would like to thank everyone that read it, especially those who left a review or added my story (or me) as an alert or favorite. They truly are addictive. I hope the second chapter is up to par with the first. **

**In other news, I found a beta! Well, a beta found me. As many thanks as I could muster to chisaii-kitty for being an awesome beta even in the face of technical issues. After this, go read her story Allegro. Actually, read her other stories too, Drawn and Stiletto. Any remaining mistakes are my own. **

**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris owns the characters, I just like to borrow them for my own selfish delights.**

He barely recognized the thoughts going through his head. He spent the next few minutes trying to figure out when his day went from awesome to awful and exactly what these feelings were. Desire was too strong of a word, but fascination didn't really fit either. Attraction... now that seemed like a winner. Upon this realization, he nearly fell off the treadmill. The idea that he was attracted to a woman that wasn't Felicia scared him to death.

Eric decided that an hour long run was definitely enough for the first day. He grabbed his things and headed back to his home as fast as he could. He went back to ignoring every other living thing around him; he needed the comfort and safety of home right now. He was a bundle of nerves. The elevator was just taking too damn long so he opted to climb the 10 flights of stairs. It would be a good way to get rid of the nervous energy, right? Wrong. He was just as anxious and twitchy as he was in the cardio room with her.

Her. The blond whose name he didn't even know but could describe every aspect of her being in vivid detail. A shower was most definitely called for right now. He stripped down and climbed in the stall, trying in vain to get all thoughts of her out of his head. But when the hot water hit his skin, all he could think about was the way the droplets of water would look running down her body, his hands following the path they'd created. As soon as that thought crossed his mind he immediately turned off the hot water, letting the ice cold blast shoot him back to reality.

He couldn't be having these thoughts. He was a grieving widower. Felicia would be the only woman who could ever have his heart. He was a firm believer that there was only one great love in a lifetime and Felicia had been it.

_But what if she wasn't?_

He nearly jumped out of his skin at that one. He needed a distraction and fast. He threw on his now-standard fare of lounge pants and a t-shirt and turned on the television, hoping for some mindless distraction. Every channel seemed to feature some cute blond actress who paled in comparison to her beauty. This wasn't working. He quickly turned off the TV and walked to his study, hoping for something interesting in his e-mail inbox. He noted on the walk there that Clancy was unconscious in a particularly sunny spot near the windows.

_There goes walking him as a distraction. _

The computer started up slowly, too slowly for his liking. He tapped his fingers against the wood of the desk. This was the desk where he wrote each of the Danger novels. He had a lot of memories sitting behind this desk. It was where he was sitting when he received the call that changed his life. He quickly pushed the depressing thoughts away and scanned through the e-mails that were now loaded in front of him. There was nothing interesting, as per usual.

One message from Pam suddenly caught his eye. Apparently, the studio that produced the movie of the first Danger novel wanted to option the second. The first made him a fair amount of money, that combined with the royalties of the books funded his current lifestyle of doing absolutely nothing for a living. He sent her a reply stating he was on board. If a new movie made him as much money as the first, he wouldn't have to worry as much about putting a new book out for financial reasons. It could come to him as slowly as he wanted and it was most certainly coming slowly.

He leaned back in the chair, closing his eyes. It was barely 1 p.m. and his day had already turned to shit. It started off so well, too. This was not boding well for the whole starting over idea. He was ready to try to live again, but did that mean starting over romantically too? He didn't think he could handle the thought of ever feeling something for a woman like he did for Felicia. Couldn't he start over slowly? Did he really have to jump back in the water with both feet without looking? It was almost too much to think about.

He tried to practice the breathing techniques he had learned to calm his mind. He was completely frazzled and knew if he continued down this path he would end up having a full blown panic attack. It was in that moment his mind created an image of a smoky bar. Patrons filled the small round tables surrounding a stage with a full sized grand piano and double bass already in place. He recognized this world as it was one he was most comfortable with. This was the world of Alexander Danger, 1940's New York. In all the years he spent with his creation, Danger never went to a place like this, what led him here now? The band began to take their places on stage and started up with some familiar tunes. The M.C. of the club took the mic and began the show.

"Ladies and gents, it is my pleasure to introduce the fabulous Miss Susannah Renard."

The blond stunner swayed across the stage, taking her place behind the microphone and began to belt out standard after standard. The crowd went wild for this new catch. She would be a star in no time.

Eric jumped out of his seat with such force that the chair went flying backwards into the wall. In the past three years, he had never experienced anything that sparked a new story line for his work. This was all happening too quickly. It was his first day back in society, his first interaction with people and he's inspired already? It didn't make any sense.

What confused and scared him even more was that he could not stop thinking about the scene at the jazz club. The widower in him wanted him to push it out of his brain and forget it ever happened but the writer in him wanted to know more. Why was Danger in a jazz club? Who was this mysterious woman and what role would she play in plot?

_Plot, what plot? This isn't even a story yet, it was a scene. Could I turn this into a plot? Better yet, do I want to?_

He righted his chair and sat down once again behind his computer. He had subconsciously opened a Word document. He set his fingers down on the keys and they began to fly. They captured every nuance of the scene that played in his head with every minute detail fleshed out.

When we last left Alexander Danger, he was mourning the loss of the love of his life, Elena. In all three books in the series, the romantic female lead captured some essence of his relationship with Felicia. In the first, Faye was a spunky go-getter (Felicia to a T) working with Danger to catch the man that killed her brother. Of course, sex ensued. The second featured Candy, the young gorgeous secretary he hired. She was tall, dark and undoubtedly sexy. Sexual escapades followed on every surface of his office, just like it had with Felicia. The third was Elena. She captured Danger's heart as no woman ever had. They were wed immediately only to have her ripped away by a gunman's bullet, a bullet that was meant for Danger.

_Of course, that's why Danger was in a bar! He was drinking his troubles away, trying to forget her. _

Eric frowned at how closely he allowed his books to follow his own life. Pam insisted he finish the third book even in his grief. He wrote the only thing he could, the death of the love of his life. If he was in pain, Danger should be in pain. Apparently, now that he found some sense of attraction to a woman that meant Danger should feel the same. Conflict waged a war within him; he did not understand or want to understand any of the multitudes of emotions he was feeling.

_It's all part of the healing process I suppose._

He looked up at the screen. The page count in the corner shocked him. He had written 20 pages without the slightest effort. Reading it over, it flowed perfectly. Danger feeling depressed and lonely, seeking the sweet release liquor provided from his pain. The smoky club. The gorgeous singer. The sweet melody of her voice. The internal battle Danger felt, yet ignored. He had never written anything that easily in his life. He also realized he was jealous of his fictional creation. Danger just shoved the emotions aside, as if they didn't matter. He wished he could do that, disregard everything crossing his mind.

He was tempted to delete everything. Part of him hated the words in front of him. Part of him was amazed he was writing again. Part of him was ashamed he was this inspired by a woman he didn't even know. Felicia was the only one that had ever triggered such a strong response out of him, emotionally and creatively. He was terrified at what all this could mean.

He made the decision to leave what he had written alone for now. He had purged it from his system, maybe now the thoughts would leave him be. Clancy's barking roused him from his stupor. He looked at the clock. It was getting late and Clancy needed to go out again. The pair strolled through Central Park on a path they had never taken before. Clancy's nose had brought them to a small dog park.

_What the hell, just because I don't want to socialize doesn't mean Clancy shouldn't._

They stepped through the gate and Eric removed his leash. The dog was suddenly a blur, running off to frolic with some of the other animals. Eric took a seat on a bench, keeping a close eye on Clancy, as he did not tend to spend much time with other dogs. There was no reason to be concerned, however. Clancy fit in just right, letting instinct teach him how to play nice.

He saw a petite woman come into the park next. She was cute enough, a short brunette bob held back by a colorful headband, an equally colorful sweater and khakis. She released her Boston terrier to go play with the other dogs and took a seat next to Eric on the bench.

"Hey, I've never seen you here before. My name is Amelia, and that's my dog Bob. Which one is yours?" she said sweetly with a smile across her face.

"I'm Eric, and that's my golden Clancy," he said pointing out the dog that was now bouncing in delight while playing a doggy version of tag. "And you're right; it's our first time at the park."

"He's gorgeous, just like his owner," Amelia added with a wink.

Eric blushed a deep red. He should be used to women's advances from the personal appearances he used to do, but he was admittedly a bit out of practice.

"Thank you. My best friend found him for me while I was mourning my wife."

_There, that should keep the flirtation at bay._

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that. Your friend did you the ultimate favor, animals help direct our healing energy to the places we need it most."

He must have given her an incredulous look as she followed that with, "I teach yoga at a gym not too far from here. I'm a firm believer in New Age teachings. In fact, one of my classes is known throughout the city as Doga. It's doing yoga with your dog! That really gets the energy flowing. I teach over at Stackhouse Gym. You and Clancy should come by for a class."

With that she reached into her purse and pulled out a card. He looked down at it and realized it was a voucher for a free trial day at the gym. She jotted down a day and time on the back, presumably when the class met.

"Stackhouse Gym, huh? It's funny that I should meet you today. I just signed up for a membership there and today was my first day going." He wasn't going to mention he was forcibly signed up, that wasn't an important detail.

"That's fantastic! You really should try out some of the classes they offer. They're some of the most inventive and exciting in the entire city."

With her excitement, he began to notice a slight twang in her voice.

"If you don't mind my asking, where are you from? You don't sound much like a typical New Yorker."

"Oh, I'm originally from New Orleans. My college roommate moved up here to Manhattan with her boyfriend when he was offered a huge position at a law firm. Well, two months into living here, she finds out he's cheating on her with one of the senior partners! That's the reason he got such a cushy offer! Can you believe it? Well, her brother called me and told me she was being stubborn and didn't want to move back home so he was going to move to New York, along with one of their friends Sam, to bring a bit of the South and home to her. He invited me to come along since he was going to franchise his gym here and knew that I was teaching yoga. He knew he couldn't run a proper gym in New York City without offering yoga classes. So we made the trek and now one year later here we are! But quid pro quo, Clarice. Where is your accent from?"

He looked at this small woman and could not believe that entire story just spilled from her. She sure could talk. He didn't know where all the air came from. Yoga must build up her endurance. She did however quote Silence of the Lambs, one of his favorite movies, so he decided to humor her with his story.

"I was living in Sweden working at my family's nightclub when my future wife walked in with a huge group of friends. She was spending the semester abroad in Stockholm. Well, we met and fell in love almost immediately. She was strong and stubborn; she challenged everything I thought I knew about myself. But she was also unbelievably loving and kind. We spent every day for the next four months together. When it came time for her to leave, I knew I couldn't let her go. I packed up my life and followed her to New York. I had always wanted to be an author, and she encouraged me to follow my dreams. We were together for six years before she passed. That was three years ago."

He looked down at his hands. He hadn't intended to share that part of the story, it just came out. He had never told anyone that before, except Pam of course. Just then, she reached over and wrapped her small hand around his.

"Well, Eric, fate brought you here. This city is your destiny. There is something out there that has kept you here even after her passing. I think it's time you found it. What would she say to you if she could see you now? Would she have wanted you to put your whole life on hold? I think if she was as strong as you said, she would want you to move on with your life. If she loved you as much as you said, she'd want you to find happiness and peace in a life after her."

He looked at Amelia with tears in his eyes. He just met this woman not thirty minutes ago but she had just made the most profound statement of his entire life.

"The thought of that is terrifying." How was he confiding in this stranger? This was completely out of character for him.

"Let that fear light the fire under your ass! Start living again to spite the fear! Don't let a useless emotion like that dictate your direction in life. Get back behind the wheel and drive!"

He stood up then, pulling her up with him and wrapped her in a hug. He called out for Clancy to come back to him, attached his leash and went to leave.

"Thank you, Amelia. You have no idea how much your words have done for me. Yoga, especially Doga, are a little too out there for me, but if I ever change my mind you'll find me at your class. Maybe I'll see you around the gym."

"You got it big man. See ya! Remember, today is the first day of the rest of your life."

With their closing remarks made, he found his way back to the apartment and back behind his desk. He sent Pam a quick e-mail before reopening the document from earlier to get back to work.

_Pam,_

_You have no idea what happened to me today. Honestly, I don't even know what happened. All I know is I have 20 pages of the fourth book typed out and would love for you to come over when you get a chance. Bring dinner, my fridge is empty. _

_~E_

Within twenty minutes, there was a knock on the door. There was Pam in her typical downtime suburbanite wear with deli sandwiches in hand.

"You wrote today?! Seriously, you wrote something today? Please tell me you're not bullshitting me, my heart can't take it. A potential movie deal and the beginnings of the fourth book all happening in one day?! Offer me a chair you jerk, I might just pass out."

He took the sandwiches from her over-dramatically trembling hands and led them to the table. He told her all about his day, the highs and the lows, leaving out the details about a certain blond from the gym. He wasn't sure if he could handle that conversation with Pam just yet. After they finished eating, he led her to the study so she could read over the rough draft. With speed only a literary editor could muster she scrolled through his writing. It would appear he was not going to be given the chance to avoid that sore subject.

"So what's her name and where did you meet her? This doesn't sound like the little brunette you met at the park."

With an over exaggerated sigh he began, "I saw her at the gym. I don't know her name or anything about her, but the way she's making me feel is scaring me shitless. I couldn't get her out of my head any other way, so I started to write. This just flowed out of me without a second thought."

"Eric, if I had any appreciation for your gender I would kiss you flat on the mouth. This is brilliant. Get it steamy and get a plot and then we'll talk contracts. We won't be able to get this on the shelves by Christmas but we might be able to swing it in time for the movie release! Oh, think of the marketing! I'm going to make you a very wealthy man once again, Eric Northman."

_Steamy? Of course the fans would expect love scenes. Can I still do that as well as I used to?_

The two friends spoke for a little while longer before it was time to call it a night. He walked Pam to the door and after a quick embrace, she looked at him with an evil glint in her eye.

"Don't think I'm letting you off the hook about this little blond bombshell. You will be pressed at a later time and date. Lucky for you, I have an early morning meeting."

With that, she was out the door. Eric took Clancy for quick pit stop outside then began his own bedtime ritual. As he lay down in bed, pulling the sheets around him he looked over to the left side of bed. With a sigh, he closed his eyes and repeated the words Amelia said before, _today is the first day of the rest of my life_.

With that, he closed his eyes and began to dream, back to that smoky club where the sweet sound of Susannah's voice lulled him into the deepest sleep he had in years.

**A/N 2: Wow, that's one hell of a day in the life of my new favorite author. Could you find all the possible foreshadowing in this chapter? Chisaii-kitty and I agree, we like the story within a story, but what do you guys think? Leave a review and let me know!**

**Will Eric take Amelia's advice? Will Clancy continue to be absolutely adorable? Does Pam's snark know no bounds? Stay tuned for the next thrilling chapter, same Danger time, same Danger station!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: The response to this story still shocks me!! I can't believe the positive response it has been getting. Every time my inbox dings to let me know I have a new message I get super excited, yet occasionally let down to junk mail ;). I'm glad so many of you are enjoying it. Your positive feedback is definitely the driving force behind me pushing out chapters so fast. Sadly, the life of a graduate student in the last few weeks of the semester is catching up to me. I don't know how much longer I can keep pushing out a chapter a day. I'll try to keep updating as frequently as possible but I get the feeling this 20 page paper on the effect of race on public education is going to slow me down. **

**Again, thank you so much to my fantastic beta and president of the Clancy the Dog fan club, chisaii-kitty. I e-mailed her this earlier in the afternoon and she had it back to me in a matter of hours! Her comments certainly have me laughing my ass off. Without further ado, I give you the misadventures of Eric Northman.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own the characters, that honor goes to Charlaine Harris. I do however stake some claim to Alexander Danger and his stories. Probably should have mentioned that in the last chapter, oh well.  
**

Eric woke the next morning to a very heavy weight on his chest. He felt as if someone was sitting on him. In fact someone was sitting on him, a very hungry Clancy that had an urgent date with a tree or two. Eric stretched as he rose and stole a glance at the clock. It read 11 a.m.; he hadn't slept that late in some time. He shoved a now-loudly barking Clancy off the bed and found clean clothes to throw on.

He was still yawning and wiping the sleep from his eyes as he led his dog through the lobby to a nearby tree. They could forgo the typical long morning walk just this once. He wanted to get dressed and have a light breakfast before heading to the gym. Maybe if he went earlier than yesterday, he wouldn't run into a certain blond that had been haunting his every waking moment.

He scanned his card at the front door of the gym, throwing a big smile to the red-head behind the desk. He stole a glance at the class schedule for the day, noting that Amelia's yoga class had just started. He gave it a moment's thought before opting instead for the usual run on the treadmill. He did, however, commit himself to peeking in the yoga studio when the class ended to give her a hello. She deserved that much, she might even end up being a good friend. She'd already proven to be good at giving advice.

The next hour went by quickly. After wiping down the machine, he walked down the flight of stairs to the floor containing the rooms where the gym's many classes were held. He saw a swarm of people exiting one of them and deduced that was Amelia's class letting out. Eric waited for them to pass so he wouldn't have to fight against the grain of the movement. He strode up to the door and not moments later his jaw hit the floor.

_Amelia was talking with the blond from yesterday!_

His fight or flight instinct kicked in and flight was starting to win. He wanted nothing more than to run from this woman and the things she made him feel. He would have gotten away with it too but Amelia had caught his gaze. She flashed him a huge smile and waved him into the room.

"Eric! I'm so glad you stopped by. Oh, where are my manners. This is the friend I told you about yesterday, Sookie. Sookie, this is Eric, the guy I met at the dog park."

His muse suddenly had a name, Sookie. He rolled it around his mind for a while desperately wanting to say it aloud.

_Strange how close Sookie and Susannah are._

"Sookie, it's a pleasure to meet one of Amelia's friends. I'm..."

He was about to introduce himself when he noticed the slack jawed, wide-eyed stare she was giving him.

"You're Eric Northman! Oh my god, Amelia, you didn't tell me the guy from the park was Eric freakin' Northman. You are my favorite author in the world! I've read all three Danger books like a thousand times each! I was heart-broken when Elena died in Alexander's arms. Oh, and the single tear he let roll down his cheek, it got me bawling like a little baby!"

He had nothing to say. This woman who had possessed his soul for the past twenty-four hours was a fan, a rabid fan at that. Plus, she had the sweetest Southern accent his ears had ever heard. Eric was certain in that moment that Sookie would mark the end of this trying period in his life.

He took her small hand in his and couldn't help the involuntary shiver that ran through his body. The electricity that passed through them was unquestionable. He was certain she felt it too by the way she was staring at his hand. Maybe she was just as entertained as he was at how small her hand looked in his. He raised it to his lips and placed a small kiss on the back.

"It's always nice to meet such a devoted fan. I've been going through a very difficult time recently and it's my fans that have been able to pull me through."

_God, Northman, laying it on a bit thick? She doesn't need to know that she was the sole fan to snap me out of this._

She giggled like most of the fans he'd met since he was published. Amelia could tell her best friend's brain had officially shut down in shock so she attempted to redirect the conversation.

"How about we go grab our respective showers and get some grub? I'm particularly starving after a class like that. Aren't you hungry, Sooks? Wouldn't you like to have lunch with the very understanding author who hasn't called security on your ass yet for being a psycho fan?"

Sookie blushed from the tip of her head to the bottoms of her feet at her friend's playful jab. She rapidly shook her head in the affirmative and took off at the speed of light in sheer embarrassment. Amelia noted how Eric's face fell when Sookie was out of sight.

"There's a diner just across the street. They've got some pretty good food. Why don't you meet us there in like twenty minutes?"

"Sounds like a plan. I live just around the corner; twenty minutes should be plenty of time."

There was no chance in hell of him saying no. Now that he had been in Sookie's presence, having some semblance of a conversation with her, he knew he was hooked. He wanted to spend as much time as possible with her. He wanted to get to know her better and try to figure out what it was about her that had him completely enchanted.

He walked down the stairs with Amelia talking nonchalantly. When they reached the first floor, she started to continue down as he stepped off the landing towards the lobby.

"The locker rooms are down here. I'll fill Sookie in on proper etiquette on meeting celebrities. Hope she didn't embarrass you too much. Oh, and I appreciate you giving me the heads up on you being famous and all."

"Sorry about that but don't worry, I've seen it all. She was actually pretty tame. She didn't embarrass me at all; I actually hope you didn't do more damage by calling her on it in front of me."

"She's a tough cookie. She's probably downstairs waiting for me to come into the locker room so she could wig out properly. Hopefully the three of us can have a real conversation over lunch."

With a wave, she continued downstairs while he headed out the front door. Once back in his apartment, he had his own little freak out. He ran to his bathroom to shower. He couldn't smell like this on his first date with Sookie.

_Date?! This isn't really a date. Amelia's coming with us, it's not a date. It can't be a date. No, not a date._

Out of the shower, he slicked his hair back with the pomade just like Claude had shown him. He was now standing in front of his closet. For the past three years, he had worn nothing besides comfortable clothes. He knew that wouldn't cut it for going out to lunch with these two ladies. Movement out of the corner of his eye pulled him out of his vegetative state. He looked down to his left and there was Clancy staring at him judgmentally.

"I'm acting like a woman, aren't I boy? Worse than that, I'm acting like a fifteen year old going on his first date."

There was that word again! He had to get around the concept of this lunch as a date. It was simply a casual meal between three people that could someday be good friends. He reached in the closet and pulled out a pair of dark wash jeans and an olive green sweater. That seemed like a safe outfit; casual and presentable. As he pulled on the sweater, he caught a whiff of Felicia's perfume. Anything from the closet was not going to work. He couldn't stand the thought of smelling Felicia while attempting a conversation.

Making a mental note to send everything from the closet to the cleaners, he grabbed a trusty gray t-shirt out of his drawer. He checked himself in the mirror and deemed himself appropriately dressed for female companionship. Grabbing his wallet, phone, and other necessities off the table, he was out the door with five minutes to spare.

He walked into the diner, scanning the crowd for Sookie and Amelia. Amelia's shouting pointed him in the right direction. He made his way through the lunchtime crowd to the booth near the rear of the restaurant. The ladies were sitting side by side, so he slid in the opposite bench of the table, facing them both. Sookie's face immediately lit up when he made eye contact with her. The smile on her face must have been contagious as he felt one spreading across his own lips.

"Mr. Northman, I wanted to say I'm sorry for my behavior in the yoga studio. It was totally inappropriate. I've been living here in New York for a little while but I've never met any celebrities face to face. Oh gosh, now I'm rambling and making it worse. I just ramble when I'm nervous and I'm super nervous right now. I just love your writing so much and never thought I'd get the chance to meet you in person, let alone find out that you're friends with Amelia. Oh jeez, still rambling."

With that, she buried her face in her hands with a groan while Amelia wrapped an arm around her as a sign of support, even though Eric could see the wicked smile crossing her face at her friend's discomfort. The groan went straight through Eric, finding its destination in his groin.

_This woman is going to be the death of me._

"It's okay, Sookie. And please, call me Eric. I've met fans who have acted way worse than that. One woman gave me a pair of underwear, making sure I knew they were used."

Sookie raised her face from her hands and looked back at him.

"Did I mention I was having dinner with my wife in a five star restaurant on our anniversary?"

That made both ladies burst into laughter. He actually found himself laughing along with them. It was the first time he laughed when he remembered moments with Felicia. It made him feel warm inside. He hoped this was a good sign towards healing.

After placing their order with the waitress, they shared more time swapping awkward stories. Eric thought he would win what had developed into a contest. It was hard to top Amelia's retelling of the woman who farted so loudly in a yoga class that it echoed off the walls during a moment of silent meditation. The only thing worse than the sound proved to be the smell. Needless to say, the class was dismissed. Sookie opened her mouth to try and beat her but quickly stopped. Her face was a mask of sadness and Eric was determined to fix it.

"I certainly can't top that, Sookie, but it looked like you were about to. Sometimes talking about what hurts us the most is the only way to heal and move forward from it."

Amelia's faced beamed with delight at Eric's statement. She knew in that moment that she had gotten through to him during their conversation yesterday. Sookie's eyes once again found a certain gleam and she let out a little giggle.

"Nothing on this earth can top walking in on Bill screwing Lorena on the conference table. She was barking orders at him and he had this look on his face. He always made the most stupid faces during sex, not to mention the noises. I think the only thing better than his face in that moment was the one when he made eye contact with me. It looked like I had shot his puppy, ran over his granny and told him he was bad in bed all at the same time. I'll never forget it, or him running after me down the hall of his firm's office, past all the head honchos, naked as the day he was born."

The table once again erupted into laughter, declaring Sookie the official winner. Their food was placed in front of them and they all dug in. It was Sookie who broke the lunch-induced silence.

"So, I hope this isn't awkward or anything, but Amelia told me about what's happened to you. To be honest, I knew about your wife from the news articles that got posted on your message boards. Is that why you haven't written a new book in a while? Or is that an inappropriate question?"

"No, it's fine. I guess opening up to Amelia made it easier to share my story in general. Yeah, I lost all inspiration when I lost Felicia. For a while, it was hard to even get out of bed, let alone write. My editor pushed me through the ending of the last book but I told her that I was done after that. It's the main reason the movie was made. Pam, that's my editor, saw that my funds were getting a bit low. She knew a movie would pick up popularity of the books again making a good amount of money in a short amount of time. In fact, I think I can share a little tidbit with you ladies. But you have to swear you won't tell a soul."

Sookie and Amelia glanced at each other, then back to Eric and gestured that they swore by crossing over their hearts. The all leaned in towards the center of the table.

"Pam just let me know that the second book, _The Danger You Know,_ just got picked up to be turned into a movie."

Despite literally crossing her heart, Sookie let out a scream that attracted all eyes in the restaurant to their table. She slapped a hand over her mouth before Amelia and Eric burst out into laughter. The other guests turned back to their own lives. Sookie took a moment to compose herself before returning to the conversation.

"So, not to press a sore topic, but do you think there will ever be a fourth book?"

Eric took a moment to look at Sookie. She had so much joy and excitement in her eyes he couldn't turn her down. He wanted desperately to pour his heart out to her in that moment but worried of the repercussions.

_What am I supposed to say? Yes, actually, ever since I saw you at the gym I've been infatuated and wrote an entire character based on your appearance and sound of your voice? She'd probably pepper spray me for being creepy. But I can't let her down with a lie._

"Well, I have something. It's more of a character study than the beginnings of a storyline. I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to develop it into anything more than it is but Pam and I are hopeful something will come out of it."

That sounded perfectly diplomatic in his mind. In Sookie's mind it sounded even more promising. The smile she gave Eric showed him that his answer was enough to give her a glimmer of hope without terrifying her.

"Will you tell us about her? It is a woman, right? It's always a woman in your books."

"She's a jazz singer, new to the city. She catches the eye of a grieving Danger at a night club."

It was proving more and more difficult to evade the truth. Eric was hoping Sookie would drop the subject before he spilled everything. What was it about these two women that made him open up?

"Oh that sounds really amazing! I can't wait to hear more about her. That is, if you wanted to spend more time with me later. Us, I meant spend more time with us!"

She blushed deeply again. Eric was beginning to enjoy the way her cheeks pinked up whenever she spoke to him. It gave her a sense of innocence that was rarely seen in modern times. The only problem was the nerves that grew whenever they were around each other. He was terrified at the prospect of spending time with her one on one, yet at the same time craved it more than anything.

The waitress placed the check on the table and he immediately grabbed it, insisting to treat. He might not have had human contact for a few years, but he still knew how to act like a gentleman. That was ingrained in him from the time he was very young. He pulled a few bills out of his pocket slowly, not wanting lunch to end. He knew this was his one shot.

"I'd love a chance to get to know you better. It would be nice to have friends again. Maybe you ladies would like to join me for dinner at some point this week?"

Inviting Amelia kept it even and balanced. He wouldn't have to worry about being alone with the woman that made his heart leap out of his chest, but it also wouldn't break her heart at being ignored by someone she idolized. Amelia was the first to speak up.

"Oh, I've got a busy week ahead of me. I've got night classes a few times this week and Jason put me on front desk duty the others. But I'm sure Sookie wouldn't mind having dinner with you, Eric."

He really needed to make sure Pam and Amelia never met. Should their forces be combined, he would be miserable the rest of his life. What was it about him that attracted women who loved to torture him while looking out for his best interests?

"That's too bad, Amelia. What do you say, Sookie, would you like to get dinner with me one night?"

Her words failed her. Her mouth had run dry and her mind was producing a huge blank. Little did she know, a similar battle was occurring inside Eric simultaneously. He didn't think he could take being turned down by her so early in the game, but he couldn't stop the words from coming out of his mouth.

"Um, sure I'd love to get dinner. How's Thursday night? I work at nights at my friend's bar, but I have Thursday off. We could eat and talk more about everything!"

"That's great. Thursday works for me. I don't exactly have a busy schedule. Name the time and place and it's a date."

That word that he fought so hard earlier once again reared its ugly head and slipped from his lips. He tried not to cringe as it came out for Sookie's sake. He would hate for her to think he wasn't interested.

"Well, there's a great little Italian restaurant up the block from here. They have the best tasting marinara sauce in the entire city. How about we meet there at six?"

"Sounds perfect, I can't wait. If you ladies don't mind, I think I have to call it an afternoon. I have a very antsy golden retriever waiting for me at home who was deprived a proper walk this morning. Maybe I'll see you both around the gym, and Sookie, I'll definitely be seeing you Thursday."

It was Monday. He could make it those few days without her. Besides, he would probably see her around the gym considering her brother owned it and best friend worked there. The two ladies each took a hug from Eric before slipping out the door while he settled the bill. He held Sookie a little tighter than Amelia, taking a moment to take in her scent. She smelled like vanilla and lavender; it was intoxicating. He was barely able to contain the moan that wanted to spill from his lips.

Opening his front door, he was nearly attacked by Clancy who was desperate to burn off some energy, as well as relieve himself. Eric could barely slip the leash around his collar before Clancy was out the door towards the bay of elevators. They made their way through the park on their usual route. Eric had grabbed a tennis ball before they left and was trying to find the dog park again so Clancy could enjoy some off-leash play time.

As they approached the gates, he noticed Amelia sitting on the same bench as yesterday reading a book. After releasing Clancy, he took his place next to her.

"That was a fun lunch, don't you think?"

"Oh sure, it was a blast. I haven't heard Sookie laugh that hard in a long time. Anything you'd like to tell me?"

"What would I have to tell you?"

"You know, how you're head over heels in love with my roommate?"

**A/N 2: GASP! Just the tiniest bit of a cliffy for your reading pleasure.**

**Oh that Amelia. What ever are we going to do with her? Doesn't she know it's not nice to stalk people at the dog park? **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I was completely stuck on my paper for my sociology class so I decided to dabble a bit on this story last night. And this afternoon. It's all thats in my head. I really wish I could just hand this in instead, it's way past 20 pages by now. Highly doubt my professor would appreciate that.**

**I dedicated myself to not updating three days in a row so I waited until after midnight to post this chapter. Sorry to disappoint, but don't expect updates again before Friday. I actually do need to get started on my real paper, plus two rounds of Thanksgiving (one with my family, one with my boyfriend's family). Real life sucks, what can I tell you. I do love writing this story and I've completely fallen in love with the characters. I'm glad so many of you seem to like it as much as I do. Your reviews help distract me from my obligations to grad school, which I procrastinate happily.**

**Once again, many thanks to my beta, chisaii-kitty. I was lucky enough to get this chapter to her before the start of Dancing with the Stars and got it back several commercial breaks later. ;) **

**Disclaimer: I recently came into a great deal of money and now own the rights to the Southern Vampire Mysteries. J/K Any money would immediately go to St. John's University to fund my Master's Degree.**

_When we last left our dashing hero:_

_"What would I have to tell you?"_

_"You know, how you're head over heels in love with my roommate?"_

* * *

He stared at her. His brain couldn't possibly formulate an answer to the question she had just asked. He felt as if he was having an out of body experience, since this moment in his life couldn't possibly be happening. He had to be watching someone else's life play out before his eyes.

"I beg your pardon? What the fuck are you talking about?"

"Oh, Eric, come on and stop being defensive. Don't play dumb with me. I see the way you stare at her, the way your whole face lights up when you see her."

"I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't felt anything for a woman in years."

"That's exactly why you're freaking out now. You're in complete denial. Tell me the truth, you saw Sookie before I introduced her to you."

"Well, I may have seen her in the cardio room yesterday. She was running and singing…"

"Singing? Holy shit, do not tell me she's the one you based the jazz singer off of!"

"I swear I didn't know anything about her. It's just she's so beautiful and her voice was so smooth I couldn't help but be inspired. The entire thing came to me in a daydream. It was completely unintentional!"

"So tell me, what's the jazz singer's name?"

"Susannah Renard."

It was Amelia's turn to be left speechless.

"Nope, sorry, not going to happen. No chance that happened independently of you meeting Sookie. Her legal name is Susannah and she grew up in Bon Temps, Louisiana. Want to take a guess which Parrish that's located in?"

"If you say Renard, so help me God, I'm going home and throwing my computer out the fucking window."

"Hope you backup your important documents."

Eric rose from the bench, full of nervous energy, running his hands through is hair. He couldn't believe any of this was happening. He knew nothing about Sookie when he had his daydream. How had he gotten such specific details about her so dead on? He dropped back down to the bench, putting his head between his knees. What he was feeling could only be categorized as a panic attack.

"Calm down there, Big Guy. I didn't mean to set you off like this. Just breathe, take deep cleansing breaths, in through your nose and out your mouth. Try to focus on getting your pulse rate to drop. I really don't feel like having to use my first aid training right now."

If there was anyone to have by your side while having a panic attack, it was a yoga instructor. Nobody understands how to get breathing under control like one. She began rubbing his back in soothing motions, similar to what she had done for Sookie on several occasions. She was making calming noises, timing her circles on his back to each inhale and exhale. It was working miracles on his nerves; he might have to give yoga some more consideration.

Once he got his breathing back in a normal rhythm, he looked over at Amelia, whose face was a mix of fear and concern. Looking around, he realized he had earned the attention of everyone else at the dog park. A few had cell phones out, ready to call 9-1-1 should he get any worse. Even Clancy had run over to his master's side in support. He offered a weak wave to the crowd as a way to say he was going to be okay. He ran his hands over Clancy; his dog always was able to calm him down.

"I'm sorry about that. After everything I've been through, I've developed a habit of having these nasty panic attacks when I'm feeling... overwhelmed."

"If anyone should be sorry, it's me! I should have known you would be a little more sensitive about emotional matters than most. I should have taken it easy on you. I know I'm a little snarky at times, maybe too much for my own good."

"Remind me to never, under any circumstances, let you meet Pam. You two would have far too much fun torturing me."

He gave her a sly smile, and in response, she hit him on the arm. Now that she was sure he was going to be okay, caring Amelia could be put away and the same old snarky Amelia could return.

"I really want to tell you something, but you have to promise not to do that again."

"I'm not making any promises."

"Sookie's going to change your life."

"She already has."

He looked down at Clancy so Amelia wouldn't see the tears in his eyes. He released his furry companion so he could go back to playing, but Clancy wouldn't hear it. He sat by Eric's side, refusing to leave.

"I'll be honest with you, Amelia. These past few years have been shit. I've been miserable. I tried committing suicide four times before I finally gave up. I refused to leave my apartment except to take Clancy for walks. My friends all gave up on me, or I gave up on them. The only one left in my life is Pam.

"Finally, I hit rock bottom and was able to try and pull myself up. My first day acknowledging myself as a member of the human race, I see her. Sookie has been a bright light in the darkness; a beacon calling me back to humanity. I should be elated. My life is getting back on track. But I'm terrified. I barely know her. I don't want to let her down but I don't know how to be with someone without shaming the memory of my wife. Additionally, why can I tell you every detail of my life this easily? It's as if you cast a spell over me."

"People come into our lives at specific times because that's when we need them the most. You are one lucky hombre. You got a two for one deal on amazing women."

"Tell me how to do this the right way. I can't risk screwing up whatever this is with Sookie."

"She's a true Southern Belle. You need to take it slow, be romantic, and be a gentleman. But let me tell you this as the best friend. Do not fuck this up. She has had her heart broken in the worst ways. If you don't have proper intentions for her, don't start anything. Do not string her along only to dump her when you don't need her for your book anymore."

"I could never do that. I'll just be honest with her. I don't know what I want from a relationship, or even if I'm ready for one. I don't think I'll have a problem taking things slow. I should be going. I'm trying to get more writing done. A plot usually proves helpful in a novel."

"See ya, Eric, be well. I'll see you around the gym. Don't be a stranger at yoga class! Oh, and a quick heads up. After you have dinner with Sookie Thursday night, she's going to want to invite you to come have drinks with a group of our friends. We all meet up every Thursday night since we coordinate a night off then. I knew Sookie wouldn't pass up a chance to have dinner with you, but she would never forgive herself if she canceled on our tradition for a guy. If you say no, it'll break her heart. Be prepared to meet a bunch of drunken hicks who will grill every detail out of your life."

"Thanks for the advice. How many do you consider a bunch to be? And aren't you supposed to be busy every night, how are you suddenly available Thursday night for drinks?"

"More than three, less than ten. I lied so you could take Sookie out alone, suck it up. Ciao!"

With that, Eric and Clancy headed out of the park. During the walk home, Eric found himself in a very contemplative mood. He made sure to stop at the grocery store on the way home, securing Clancy to a parking meter outside. He picked up a few of the necessities to get him through the next few days. With an increase in his workout regiment, he knew he needed to get back to eating regular meals.

Walking through the front door of his apartment, Eric found his way to the kitchen to refill Clancy's water dish and pass him a cookie. He considered sitting down on the couch to some mindless television, but what he said to Amelia was true; he needed to find a plot somewhere in that jazz club.

He found his way behind his desk, Clancy taking his favorite position underneath it wrapped around Eric's feet. He stared at the document, scanning through what he had written the day before. Even he had to admit it was pretty good. He ended up staring at the next blank page trying to find the rest of this story. He tried to think about his writing process in the past. He hated using a computer to get his ideas down, he liked nothing more than putting pen to paper. He dug through the drawers, trying to find an old legal pad to write on.

The sun was in the earliest stages of setting, so he opted to sit out on the balcony to get a change of scenery. Clancy was by his side, finding the overstuffed pillow that Eric kept out there for him. Eric stared down at the traffic passing beneath him, listening to the sounds of the city. He closed his eyes, willing his muse to sing to him once again. Susannah and Danger quickly appeared in his mind wrapped in a passionate embrace.

_Nope, not ready to go there yet. Try again kids._

His neighbors were once again playing their television far too loud. He couldn't really blame them; the adorable couple both were in their eighties. Maybe trying to write outside wasn't a good idea. He could hear the night's headlines blasting through the open window.

**The serial killer plaguing the Bowery was caught today. He struck ten times over the past six months before slipping and appearing on a surveillance camera. Police say he was leaving false information behind on cryptic notes to steer them in the wrong direction.**

The story kept his attention, but the details faded to the background. The gears in his mind started spinning.

"Hey Clancy, how does this sound. Danger gets placed on the case of a serial killer. But the killer is working for him, making sure he's kept on the wrong path. That could be interesting."

He needed someone to bounce ideas off of. That position was once held by Felicia, she always told it like it was. She wasn't afraid to tell him his ideas were crap. Pam hated playing the hypothetical game. If it wasn't written in stone, his intended direction of a story, she had no input. He tapped his pen against the pad under the now unnatural glow of the lights strung along the balcony and the street lights below.

_When did it get so late? Maybe a little dinner will get the creative juices flowing._

For the first time in a long time, Eric found himself in the kitchen, preparing dinner. He threw together a quick stir fry, the spices perfuming the air of the kitchen. Clancy sauntered into the apartment, roused from his outdoor nap by the smell of human food. He never was one to turn down the chance to beg, even if it never proved successful. Eric took the hint and opened up the can of dog food after plating his own dinner. The pair ate their meals together, Eric trapped deep in his thoughts.

_Who can I bounce ideas off of? Sookie certainly couldn't be objective about the plot lines and Amelia had already done enough for me. Maybe it's time to put my big boy pants on and do this myself. I'm fully capable of stringing together a plot._

Placing his dirty plates in sink, he retrieved the legal pad and locked up the balcony. He paced the living room twirling the pen between his fingers, speaking out loud to no one in particular. Clancy certainly couldn't give any positive feedback; he was too busy working on a rawhide.

"A serial killer plaguing the city, that's something I've never done before. Someone pure evil, incapable of feeling remorse would be one hell of a foil for Danger. He would definitely be the darkest villain I've ever written, but I think I have enough practice in dark thoughts to get it right.

"But how does the jazz club tie into all of this? Maybe that's where Danger meets this new big bad. He could be a drinking companion, someone who acted compassionately, then befriending him in his darkest time. Maybe he's a waiter, or a bartender."

He raked his hands through is hair, in the earliest stages of getting frustrated. This idea of putting a book together alone was proving harder than he thought.

"That gets the club in, but what about Susannah? What role does she play in all of this? If she's working at the club, maybe she's friends with whoever our killer turns out to be."

He stopped dead in his tracks, dropping the pen to the floor in his moment of shock. The loud thud was enough to attract Clancy's attention off his bone.

"She's it! She's the killer. She's a black widow, marrying rich men and then killing them off when she's bored. The owner of the club is her next victim! Oh, Clancy, that's good, that's going to work. I've never done a femme fatale before, it'll be a twist the readers never see coming.

"If she's seeing the owner, how do I get her with Danger? That's how she's going to keep him off her trail, feeding him false information about the crime scene. Of course, if Danger's already on the case, her husband would already be dead! With the lead detective being led in a completely different direction, she's free to kill as often as she likes!"

Then his heart sank.

"Oh, not good, definitely not good. How do I tell Sookie that the character she inspired is a cold blooded killer? She'll think that I think she's evil, or that I think she's using me for something. Maybe she'll just be so excited that I thought of her to be included in the book that she can forgive me. I'll explain that the three characters I based off of Felicia didn't possess all her traits, at times they were polar opposites with just traces of her personality in them."

He fell back to the couch with a sense of peace about the book but a sense of dread about what was going to happen between him and Sookie. He hoped she understood enough to overlook that her inclusion into the Danger-verse was as a murderer. He glanced up at the clock and saw it was nearing midnight. He quickly jotted down his ideas so he wouldn't forget them tomorrow. He brought Clancy outside for his last stop of the night before going to bed. He was determined that he would have the entire storyline plotted out before he met Sookie, even if that meant allowing his writing to consume him as it used to. He needed a good night's sleep; he was unlikely to sleep again until he had it all down.

* * *

The next two days passed by in a blur. It was suddenly Wednesday night, and Pam was looking at the mess of papers covering his dining room table. He had done it; he had every detail of his story worked out. He had created a storyboard similar to that of a movie director. He invited Pam to stop by so he could get his green light to go ahead and begin writing.

Nothing on this Earth could wipe the smile off of Pam's face. She looked as his writing with the same glee that a child looked at her Christmas presents. She turned to his position in the kitchen where he was nursing a cup of coffee. True to his word, he stayed up for the past forty-five hours to get everything in his head down on paper. He hadn't felt this creative in years. His writing never came to him with this much force, demanding this much attention. Something inside of him had woken up from a deep sleep and was anxious to get back to work.

"Eric, this is amazing. I don't know where this came from, but frankly, I don't care. You have never gotten an outline to me this quickly in the nine years we've been working together. But that doesn't matter. Whatever happened to your process is for the better and I won't be the one to jinx it. Expect me tomorrow night; I'll bring a contract over so we can get this ball rolling!"

"Tomorrow night isn't good for me. I have plans"

"Plans? Eric Northman has plans? Be still my beating heart. Wait, is it with the blonde? Please tell me it's with the blonde. If she's got you this inspired, we need to keep her in the picture."

"Her name is Sookie and we're going to dinner. Apparently after that we're getting drinks with some of her friends."

"You're getting dinner with a woman and then going to a bar with a group of friends? Welcome back, old friend."

"Thanks. I actually have a small favor to ask you."

He then mumbled something undecipherable under his breath.

"What was that, you'll have to speak up. I don't take time out of my busy schedule for mumblers."

"I was hoping you would go shopping for me. I need something to wear that doesn't still have traces of Felicia's perfume. I want to look good tomorrow night."

"I won't go shopping for you, but I'll go with you. I can write off the afternoon as a business meeting and no one will ask. You know I love playing dress up with you as my personal Ken doll."

"Did you even play with Barbie dolls when you were little? In fact, were you ever little? I was under the impression that you were spawned fully developed from the demon that delivered you into this world as my own personal torture device."

"I'll ignore that little quip since it cements your return to being the smart ass I lost so long ago. And yes, I played with Barbie. I had an elaborate wedding where she married Midge. It was very romantic. I think that's when my mother realized she wasn't getting a traditional wedding out of me. Meet me at the Armani store on Fifth Avenue tomorrow at two. Please get some sleep, you look like shit."

Pam always had a way of ending a conversation. Performing the standard night time rituals, he soon found himself tucked into bed, an alarm set for the next morning at ten. Despite the massive amounts of coffee he had consumed, he found himself drifting off, back to the jazz club where Susannah gave him a private serenade of his favorite songs. His last conscious moment of the night was spent wondering if Sookie would ever consider a private concert for him.

**A/N 2: Oh that Amelia. She's such a trip. I want to tell you a little story. I had this chapter finished earlier in the day but left it alone until I went to class so I could reread it. I came back and hated how I ended things. I originally had Eric find Amelia to bounce ideas around but decided that my Eric was becoming too co-dependent on her. I think the way I re-wrote it shows way more personal growth and his coming into his own again. Yup, I deleted 3.5 pages and am extremely satisfied with the way things turned out. What say you, reading public?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: 1,790 hits! I'm floored. Hope everyone is excited for date night!**

**I hope everyone State-side had a fantastic Thanksgiving. I enjoyed dinner with my boyfriend's family, mostly because I was so drunk I could ignore the insanity. Noting like being called by your significant other's cousin's name by his 90 year old grandmother all night to make you drink. It got awkward once his cousin showed up. Then I became "Sweetheart". Definitely looking forward to Sunday when I get to enjoy my family's dinner. My mom makes the best turkey!!! **

**This chapter went through several revisions over the past few days. I kept feeling unhappy with it, and after several rounds of tweaking, I finally had something I was confident in posting. Thanks to chisaii-kitty for keeping an eye on it and for all your advice!! At first I didn't think I needed a beta, but in retrospect, I can't imagine not having her eyes read it over for me or having someone to ask about plot points. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. They own everything.**

Pam was getting impatient. It was 2:05 and she had told Eric to be there by two. Time is money and her time is very expensive. He was lucky she was getting paid. All she had to do was quote the temperamental nature of authors, and hers was particularly temperamental. Everyone at the publishing firm knew of Eric's past and how delicately Pam had to handle him now that he was re-entering the literary world. Her colleagues praised her dedication to her client. She had most definitely fluffed up how bad off Eric was; she used him as an excuse on more than one occasion to leave the office early to do a little shopping or take a spa day.

Finally, she saw him getting out of a taxi, flip open his cell phone and put it up to his ear. He approached her position by the store front, gesturing for her to wait just one more minute.

"Amelia, I'm sure I'm fine. I was just writing. I know I didn't make it to the gym. She was? Oh, make sure she knows I'm okay. I know, tonight at six. No, I won't be late. I promise. Yes, I swear. Yes, Amelia, I cross my heart. You're making me make Pam wait, she's giving me the angry eyes. I need to go. Pam is taking me shopping. I need something to wear tonight. No, I don't own one piece of clothing. I really have to go. Yes, you too. Okay, I swear, I'll go to the bar tonight with Sookie. I won't chicken out. I won't! Good bye. Yes, okay. Good bye. Namaste? Sure, whatever, good bye."

"Which one of these girls are you dating again?"

"Amelia is the concerned best friend, Pam. Aren't you the slightest bit concerned for me going out on my first date since Felicia?"

"I was, seven minutes ago, when you would have been on time. Now, I'm just bored and had to listen to half a conversation. I will take it out on you in my clothing selections, by the way."

"Amelia was just worried that she hadn't seen me at the gym for a few days. She said that Sookie was worried too. Isn't that sweet, she's worried about me already. I'm feeling pretty optimistic about tonight."

The pair walked into the store and were immediately greeted by a sales attendant. The young girl was unnaturally bleach blonde with implants two sizes too big. She completely lacked all of Sookie's natural beauty, and Eric found his mind wandering to the smooth curves of her body, only to be brought back to reality when Pam started throwing clothes at him.

"Optimistic, eh? Does that mean you're going to fuck her brains out?"

"Pam! How could you say that? I have every intention of taking things slowly, easing into whatever this is. I want things to develop naturally between us. Having sex this early in the game would completely ruin things. I'm not even sure if I could bring myself to be with another woman like that yet. I'm worried enough about going on a date, let alone making this relationship sexual."

"Whatever, I'm not that emotionally invested anyway. Not unless she has a hot, bi-curious friend you'd be willing to introduce to me."

Pam wandered away from him and began to babble with the plastic clerk. Knowing Pam, the overly-made up girl was not her type, but that didn't mean Pam wouldn't flirt her way to a discount. Soon enough, Eric found himself in the dressing room surrounding by overpriced designer clothes. His head was spinning at the amount of zeros on the end of each price tag.

"Pam, you know my finances better than I do. Can I afford this store?"

"Yes, Eric, I wouldn't have brought you here if you couldn't afford it. Now come out wearing something fantastic."

He stepped through the curtain towards the mirrors and the two waiting women. The young girl's jaw was on the floor; even Pam had an appreciative grin. He was dressed in a sleek black button down, a pair of fitted dress pants, and patent leather dress shoes.

"Very nice, Northman. You look like a sex symbol again. But what's with the ring on your finger? Let's not give Sookie the wrong impression."

He looked down at his left hand and the platinum band that resided there. He'd worn it every day for the past eight years. He couldn't imagine not seeing it there.

"I don't think I can take it off yet. Sookie will understand why I wear it."

"Felicia's in your heart and your mind. You don't need the physical band around your finger to remember her. Wearing it means you're not ready to move on. "

"It's not debatable. Drop it. I can't make that many changes at once. Sookie will understand."

"Fine. Go have the rest of this hissy fit in the dressing room and try something else on."

Two hours later, and several thousand dollars lighter, Pam had completely revamped his wardrobe. She was quite happy of the transformation he had made. He was happy that she was able to put it on the company card as long as he promised to wear the outfits to future movie premieres and book signings. He was confident that he had money in the bank, and more coming soon enough, but he couldn't justify spending that much money on clothing.

He made it home close to 4:30. That left plenty of time to walk Clancy, and get ready for the night. He refused to get into writing; it was too likely that he would get distracted and lose track of time. He and Clancy took a long jog through the park in part since he would not be back until late at night to take Clancy out again and in part since he found that he was full of nervous energy that he wanted to burn. He wanted to be calm and confident walking into the small Italian restaurant tonight.

Upon arriving back home, Eric took a quick shower and styled his hair. He was starting to get used to the new look and its required upkeep. He walked back into the bedroom and removed the new shirt and pants from the closet. Checking his appearance in the mirror, he was content with the man that stared back at him. Going to his nightstand, he reached for his essentials but hesitated while going for the last piece; his wedding band.

_Is Pam right? Should I really leave this at home. It's become such a part of me, I can't imagine being without it. I'm sure Sookie would understand, but what will her friends say? I don't want them to think she's going out with a married man._

He fingered the band, deep in thought for several minutes. Taking a deep breath, he picked it up, and squeezed it in his palm. He crossed his bedroom to Felicia's jewelry box. Opening the small black lacquer box, he placed the ring next to Felicia's. He couldn't think of a better place for the ring to stay. Closing the box felt like lifting a weight off his shoulders. It was another piece of his old life chipping away from the new. Starting over was getting easier and easier with every step he took.

He was five minutes early and was sitting in the restaurant at a small table for two, dramatically lit with tea light candles. Romantic music was being piped over a sound system. It was a small space, a handful of tables full with people in various stages of couple-hood, thankfully free of screaming children. He loved kids, but wanted tonight to be just right.

She walked through the door, and it felt as if time and spaced stopped. She looked like perfection; the epitome of Southern Belle. Her hair was down loose around her shoulders, effortlessly curled and held back with a thin red hair band. Her makeup was light and natural, the exception being the bold red lipstick she wore. She removed the light coat she was wearing to reveal a sundress, white with a delicate red floral pattern, red patent leather flats, and a small white cardigan to keep her warm when she was without her coat. When her eyes met his, he was captivated by her beauty; she could have been wearing a burlap sack and his opinion would not have changed.

She gracefully made her way to his table with a smile that would melt any man's heart. He rose from the table, as any proper gentleman would to greet her. Taking her hand in his, he placed a small kiss on the back before pulling the chair out for her. As he pushed it in towards the table, he stole another sample of her distinct scent, detecting sandalwood mixed with the vanilla and lavender from the other day.

He took his place opposite her; he couldn't help but share in her smile.

"You look exceptionally happy tonight, Sookie. I hope I'm at least part of the cause."

"Oh, Eric, you have no idea how happy I am to see you. I know we only saw each other once, but I missed seeing you at the gym. Rest assured every bit of excitement on my face is all you."

"Sorry I haven't been coming in for my workouts. I was putting the plot of the book together. I wanted to get all the details into place before tonight so I wouldn't be distracted from our time together. I would hate to be at a restaurant with a beautiful woman having a lovely dinner and be thinking about my characters."

"That's so sweet, Eric, but stop, before my blush matches my dress."

"If all it takes to get you blushing is a simple compliment, then you need to get used to being pinker than usual."

The pair shared a small laugh before returning to simply smiling at each other from across the table. Eric's mind was spinning; he knew that he should start things out honestly. He wanted to get the hard part of this date over with at the beginning.

"Sookie, I have something to tell you and I have the sneaking suspicion you won't like it."

"Well, honesty is the best policy. I want to hear what you have to say, but in all fairness, how do you know I won't like it? We're just getting to know each other."

"I included a character inspired by you in my next book. It's what I've been working on for the past few days."

"Eric! How could I possibly hate that? You know I'm a huge fan of the series, it would be my honor to be included!"

"Well, when we met after Amelia's class, that wasn't technically the first time I saw you. I had seen you the day before while you were using the elliptical machine. You were in your own little world, singing along with your music and I was just… drawn to you. I went home and had a vision of you as the jazz singer in the club I told you about the other day at lunch."

"I'm the jazz singer? Are you kidding? That's amazing, I'm so excited! I don't suppose I can tell the whole world, huh?"

_Well, she didn't think I'm a creepy stalker. Part one of the hard stuff is over, now for part two._ "I'd rather you didn't just yet. I don't really like details of my books released before they're published. Now here's the hardest part. As the book was coming to me over the past few days, the singer has developed into a bit of a femme fatale, a serial killer really. Now before you say anything, I don't think you possess those traits, it's just how the character came to me. I really hope you're not offended."

"I'm the killer in the fourth Danger book?"

"Not you, just a character that possesses your physical traits and likes to sing. No other correlations."

"That is so freaking sweet! I can't wait for the book to come out so I go up to people and say 'Hey, guess what, that's me!'"

"You're excited to be a serial killer? You are definitely the most interesting and surprising woman I've ever met."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment. Tell me, what's her name?"

"I take no responsibility for the name; I blame it completely on my over-active imagination. I dreamed her name as Susannah Renard. Amelia has already informed me how creepy it is."

"I wouldn't say creepy, I'd say strange coincidence. Besides, no one knows me as Susannah. You wouldn't even know that's my name unless you saw my driver's license. I'm not offended in the slightest way, so stop being nervous and let's order okay?"

Once the waiter saw the couple was no longer involved in what appeared to be a serious conversation, he came over and took their order right away. He returned moments later with the specified bottle of wine and left with the promise their food would be out shortly. Eric poured a glass for Sookie and for himself then raised his glass in a toast.

"To the start of something new."

"To Susannah," Sookie added with a smile, "and to us."

The minutes flew by like seconds as the pair chatted openly about their lives. Eric shared his memories of growing up in Sweden, working at his parent's dance club, and strangely enough, about Felicia. Sookie led him along in the conversation, asking questions that asked him to open up to her but still left him the option of refusing to answer. It felt freeing to him to share the information so willingly. He wanted Sookie in his life, for reasons still unknown to him, and that meant telling her everything.

She answered in kind, describing the simple life that came from being raised in a small town like Bon Temps. She shared the story of her parent's death when she was seven, of how her grandmother raised both her and her brother. She talked about falling in love with Bill at a young age, how they struggled to keep their relationship alive while she was going to college in New Orleans while he stayed closer to home in Shreveport. She mentioned sadly about the passing of her grandmother just a year and a half ago. That combined with four long years of a long distance relationship was the reason she was so willing to move to New York with him at he pursued his legal career.

Their food arrived and they ate and drank in comfortable silence. Eventually, Sookie offered Eric a bite of her dinner, eggplant rollatini and he responded in kind, offering her a bite of his veal parmesan.

"I've never tried veal before. I once asked about it when I was out to eat with Amelia, but she freaked out at me, something about killing innocent baby cows. She isn't a vegetarian or anything, but I guess the idea of eating babies freaks her out. She won't eat lamb either"

"Then I insist you take a bite. It's delicious; I think this is the best I've ever had."

That was Eric's crucial mistake. The minute Sookie's lips wrapped around his fork and the veal hit her tongue, she moaned in delight. _The noises this woman makes drive me wild. _He was desperate to change the conversation to calm the movement in his pants.

"So, Sookie, what do you do for a living?"

"Well, when Bill and I broke up, I refused to go back home. I had already sold my grandmother's house. I literally didn't have anywhere to go back to. Jason accused me of being stubborn, but I set out on starting a new life in New York and was determined to do it. Just because it no longer included Bill was no reason to go home. Well, Jason rallied the troops and all of a sudden, he was bringing Bon Temps to me. He moved up here along with Amelia and our friend Sam. He had this crazy idea to franchise his gym and convinced Sam to do the same with his family's restaurant, Merlotte's. The four of us found a pretty nice apartment we could all share and afford while we were trying to get the two new businesses started. I had always worked at Merlotte's during the summer so it was natural to go back to work with Sam. He decided that the restaurant business was too competitive here so he opened up a bar instead. He's the owner and head bartender, and I'm the manager and head waitress. Wouldn't you believe it's one of the most popular places in Midtown now? I guess you Northerners really like your down South style bars.

"Speaking of the bar, you wouldn't be interested in going there tonight would you? Some of my friends meet up there every Thursday night and they'd be crushed if I didn't show. If you don't want to, I'd understand."

"I'd love to meet all of your friends. I'm a little low in the friend department as of late and wouldn't mind meeting some new faces."

"Great! I may or may not have already told them that I'd bring you and about how awesome a writer you are."

"Ah, so I wasn't the only one to withhold some information," Eric questioned playfully.

"No, I guess that's why I didn't overreact; knowing I was guilty of it too. I was just so excited to actually meet you; I had to tell all my friends about it."

"I'm just kidding around, to be honest; Amelia told me you wanted to invite me along. I've known about it since Monday."

"That little sneak! Did you know she also lied about being busy every night! When we got back to our apartment after lunch, she confessed. Worst part is, to avoid the argument, she grabbed her dog, Bob and went to the dog park. I think she's working against us."

"It's actually the complete opposite, Sookie. She knew I was heading to the dog park and wanted to meet me there to talk a bit more. She's working with us, pushing us together, by forcing you to spend time with me alone."

"Oh, she definitely had to force me into going on a date with you, Eric. This is a date, right? I haven't been on one in a while; I might be a little out of practice."

"You and me both. How about we order some dessert; something sweet to end our meal?"

"The tiramisu here is to die for. But you didn't answer my question, is this a first date?"

He took her hand from across the table and began tracing small patterns on her palm with his thumb. He loved the way her hand looked in his. "I think it's a spectacular first date."

She smiled at him, looking across the table, their near identically blue eyes connecting with something deeper behind them. "I think I can declare this the best first date I've ever been on."

They ordered a slice of tiramisu to share and it was brought to the table a few minutes later. Eric and Sookie began on opposite ends but soon found their way to the last bite. Neither wanted to be rude and take it so they shared an awkward laugh. Sookie scooped it on her fork, making it appear as though she was going to eat it herself, before holding the fork in front of his lips for him to take. She was mimicking his movements from earlier, taking the opportunity to feed him. He tried to look as sensual as she had taking the bite but in the last minute, she raised the fork, getting whipped cream all over his nose. It was completely worth looking like a fool for the delightful giggle it drew from her lips.

The waiter brought the check over and handed it to Eric. Sookie looked as if she was about to offer to pay her share, but the look Eric gave her told her that he wanted to handle it. As independent as she was, she was raised to allow a gentleman to treat to dinner while dating. He helped her back into her coat just for the chance for his fingertips to brush against her skin again. He had been an island for the past few years and suddenly found he craved the physical human contact.

They hailed a taxi and Sookie gave the driver the address for Merlotte's North. They sat on opposite ends of the bench seat but soon Eric craved her touch again. He gently pulled her hand from its place in her lap and laced his fingers through hers. She looked to him with a smile on her face, but when her eyes met his, she realized he was deep in thought and there was something almost sad about the look he gave her.

"Is something wrong, Eric? You don't look happy anymore."

"This is going too easily. Nothing in life can be this easy, feel this right so quickly."

"Sometimes things are just meant to be, you know? Life has dealt us both some pretty crappy hands. When things start to go right and I'm happy, I've learned not to question it but accept it as life trying to balance out all the bad with some good."

The smile finally reached Eric's eyes again and Sookie could tell he enjoyed her explanation. He answered, "I think we're both owed a ton of good at this point."

The cab pulled up in front of the bar, but before Eric could pull out his wallet, Sookie handed the driver a few bills, beating him to the punch. He wanted to argue but Sookie shot him a look similar to the one he flashed her at the restaurant. He relented and followed her out of the car through the front door. His ears were assaulted with the twangs of country music and the normal sounds of a neighborhood bar. Sookie's hand found his again as she led him through the early crowd.

_I guess it's now or never._

**A/N2: Oh, I am definitely the evil author who cut this chapter right there. I contemplated including the entire date at once, but it would have doubled my standard chapter size. I opted, with some beta centered advice, to cut the date in two chapters. What type of shenanigans will occur at Merlotte's North? Who will be there to meet the new happy couple? Will any familiar faces show up unexpectedly? I hope to have the next chapter thrown together soon!!**


	6. Chapter 6

**No rambling this week, just my appreciation to the fans of this story, my fantastic beta chisaii-kitty, and two awesome Thanksgiving dinners. Blame it on a turkey induced coma. Here's date night part 2!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

Their first stop was the bar where Sookie introduced him to Sam. While the handshake was friendly, the look on Sam's face read one thing loud and clear; hurt her and I'll tear you to shreds. Eric should have seen this as a threat, but he decided to only appreciate the amount of concern Sookie's friend had for her. The other bartender behind the counter leaned over to give Sookie a hug and a kiss. Eric, again, should have been concerned, but the amount of make-up on the man's face told him he had nothing to worry about. She introduced the new man as Lafayette.

"Well ain't you a tall drink of water? I feel as if I've been in the desert for a hike and need you to quench my thirst."

Eric couldn't form a reply to that even if he tried. He gave Sookie a questioning look, silently begging for help. She simply laughed, "Oh, Laf, you have to stop flirting with all the pretty boys that come in here and save some for us girls! Now you behave, and I'll go introduce Eric to everyone else."

The pair approached a few tables that had been pulled together by the large group of people that sat around them. Eric looked at all their faces, seeking out the comfort of Amelia's familiarity. When he noted the person sitting next to her, his jaw fell to the floor in shock, "Pam?! What are you doing here?"

It was Amelia that spoke up. "I thought you might be a bit uneasy about meeting this rowdy bunch. I knew how much Pam meant to you so I thought I'd give her a call. She was listed as your emergency contact on your membership form. Oh, you were definitely right; she and I should have never met." She turned to Pam before continuing, "You dress the boy well, I approve."

Sookie wrapped a supportive arm around Eric's waist, noticing how perfectly she molded into his side, her head rested perfectly at his shoulder as if they were made for each other.

"Eric, you know Amelia, and I can assume the woman to her left is your friend Pam. This is my brother, Jason; his business partner, Tray Dawson; Jason's best friend, Hoyt Fortenberry; Hoyt's girlfriend, Jessica Hamby; and the rest of this rag tag bunch are trainers at the gym; Alcide Herveaux, Crystal Norris, and Claudine Crane. Everybody, this is Eric Northman."

Rounds of hellos and handshakes went around the table before Sookie and Eric took their seats. He thought it was endearing she included everyone's last names in their introduction; it must have been a Southern quirk. Eric had ended up next to Pam who leaned over and whispered in his ear, "I've been here maybe twenty minutes, they're a fun bunch. Did you know Amelia swings both ways? I'll give you one guess which way she's swinging tonight."

Sookie was making idle conversation with her friends, but shaking at the look Pam was giving her. Pam's eyes could speak volumes, and every word was critical of Sookie. She understood the intimidating blonde's intention; for the past three years she had done everything to protect Eric from the world and from himself. If she was in Pam's shoes, she would be hesitant about a new love interest too. She felt a little better when she looked at Jason, and realized he was appraising Eric the same way.

Eric knew he needed to break into the circle of friends eventually and tried desperately to find the easiest way to get involved in a conversation with anyone at the table. Something about Claudine drew him in. "You wouldn't by any chance have a brother who works as a hair stylist would you?"

"A twin actually, Claude, why do you ask?"

"I met him a few days ago. He's the man responsible for this haircut."

"Be thankful you visited him now. A few years back, when he was going for his license, I let him cut my hair. It was awful! He ended up dying my hair purple and nothing was straight!"

Crystal added, "Claudine, nothing about your brother is straight. By the way, thanks for letting me know that before I started hitting on him."

The table laughed and the mood lightened considerable. Eric felt comfortable around her friends, and could tell they were receptive toward welcoming him into their circle. The conversation was going great for a few rounds. Eric found himself involved in a conversation with Hoyt who was sharing his journey to New York.

"After Jason and Sam left Bon Temps, I was feeling awfully lonely. I had always been part of Community Theater, so I decided to come up and join them to try my hand on Broadway. That's when Amelia and Sookie got their own place and I moved in with Jason and Sam. One month into living here I got a part in the chorus in _Chicago_. That's where I met Jess."

"That's fantastic; but I'm afraid I've never seen the show."

"I'll get you guys tickets, just tell me a night. You and Sook will love it; it's a real sexy sort of show."

The night had been going great. Eric was bonding with all of them; even Jason was warming up to him. When talk turned to his writing, he grew shy at all the praise. Some of the table had read the books, but everyone had seen the movie. They let him know that Sookie had dragged each and every one of them to see it. Eric loved the way this group of friends interacted. They joked and teased each other ruthlessly, but anyone could see how deep the friendship ran. Eric knew he was officially accepted when Jason turned the teasing his way.

"Now, I've got no problem with you, man, but I gotta say, what's with the beer?"

"What's wrong with Heineken?"

"It's a lame-ass Euro-trash beer. You need a real man's beer, like Bud or Coors."

Sookie was quick to defend him, "Eric is European, Jason. Of course he would drink European beer. Eric came here from Sweden a few years ago."

"Doesn't matter, sis. He's living in the States; he needs to drink American beer."

Alcide was the next to come to his defense, "Yeah, but Jason, he might like Euro beer but at least he doesn't like girlie drinks. At my bachelor party, this fucker was double-fisting appletinis!"

"You swore you'd take that to your grave!"

The entire table was hysterical but it quickly died down with the next patron to walk through the door. Everyone was quickly on edge and it appeared a fight was about to break out. Sookie had to be the voice of reason, "He's allowed to come to the bar guys."

"Son of a bitch deserves to be taken out back and shot, sis. I won't stand him coming into our bar."

Eric shot Amelia a questioning look since no one else was cluing him in. "That's John Quinn, Sookie's ex-boyfriend. Everybody calls him Quinn. She's trying the whole 'I want to be friends with him' crap but no one wants that to happen. He's kind of a prick."

Sookie waved him over and pulled up an extra seat. Jason and Tray looked like they were about to kill someone, while Eric didn't know what to feel. If Sookie wanted to be friends with him, then he could give Quinn the benefit of the doubt. It appeared he was the only one who felt that way. Soon enough, Sookie and Quinn were talking and joking, Sookie taking only a second to introduce Eric and Pam to the taller man. It was rare that Eric met men taller than him and couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated by him, especially considering the history he shared with Sookie.

Eric leaned back over to Amelia to hear more of the story. "They dated after she broke up with Bill. She was still feeling pretty lonely in the city, and reached out to the first guy that showed an interest in her. I'm surprised you haven't heard of him, he's a big shot party planner, ridiculously rich."

"So what's so bad about him? Looks like half the people at this table are ready to crawl out of their skin to kill him."

"He bought her love. He showered her with expensive gifts, jewelry, clothes, and a new car, which she really didn't want. She was raised not to accept those sorts of things."

Jason had picked up on the flow of the conversation and added his own two cents. "He wouldn't quit no matter how many times she told him to stop. He barely spent any time with her and would make up for it with presents. Not to mention that every time his mom called, he was off to Connecticut to be at her side. Between clients and Mommy, he was with Sookie maybe twice a month. Not to say he didn't make plans to see her, but he canceled every single time."

Amelia picked back up narrating the story, "She put up with it for months, convinced he was a good guy. She made excuse after excuse for him. He never came to Thursday nights with us before they broke up. You guys have been on one date and you're already here making an effort."

"So he comes out with you guys now?"

"He hasn't missed one since they broke up last month, no matter how much we threaten him to stop. He's doing this to spite us. All I know is I want that scum away from my sister. I don't generally say this to guys, but, Dude; stake your claim on her now. He's always trying to get back in her pants and I'm sick of it."

"You're okay with me pursuing your sister?"

"You make her happy and Amelia's been talking you up all week. Know that if you fuck up, I'll break your legs and your face. I wanted to take Quinn out, but Sook won't let me. I've let her talk me out of it two bastards in a row and I won't make it three. I will take every ounce of my aggression from her exes out on you. Now, man up and make a move!"

Eric pulled his chair closer to Sookie and tried to join in on her conversation with Quinn, but the taller man just kept shooting him death stares. He looked back at Pam for some encouragement, which she offered by wrapping an arm around Amelia with a wink. Eric took the hint and soon he had an arm wrapped around Sookie, hand resting on her shoulder, tracing circles on the bare flesh that had been revealed as she took off her layers. She visually shivered at the gesture and moved in closer to his warmth.

It appeared that Eric joined in at the perfect moment. Quinn had been getting a bit too cozy with Sookie, leaning in a little too closely during the course of their conversation. Eric coming over got the intruder to take a step back in surprise.

"Gosh, I've been ignoring you for a bit haven't I? How rude could I be? Quinn was just telling me about this huge wedding he's planning. It's real extravagant."

"Ours would have been better, Babe," Quinn was sure to add to the end of her comment.

Eric felt a rage course through his body at the term of endearment this jerk had so casually thrown in. This was definitely going to be a battle of wills, but he needed to play his hand properly. If he acted too brutish, it would turn Sookie off to him but if he didn't make it clear that Sookie was with him tonight, she might go home with the wrong man.

"I guess the world will never know will it? Besides, Sookie strikes me as the kind of girl who wouldn't want all the glitz and glamor. I think she'd like something a little more elegant and refined, am I right?"

"You've known her for what, a day? You think you know her better than I do?"

"Since she's here tonight with me, not you, I'm going to go out on a limb and say yes. But this really isn't a conversation to be having now, is it?"

"You're right, why don't we step outside and have a more private chat?" Eric had Quinn exactly where he wanted him. Eric wanted to aggravate him into getting violent, so he could show Sookie that he was the bigger man by not fighting back. Hopefully she was looking for a man to defend her with his words and not his fists. The author was good with words, not so great with his hands.

"Quinn! Where do you get off threatening my date? You and I are long over; you have no say in who I go out with. But for argument's sake, Eric's right. My whole life I've dreamed of a small wedding back home in Bon Temps. How'd you guess?"

Eric was intent on answering Sookie's question, but it was the other man's eyes that held his gaze, slightly tightening the grip he had around her. "Oh, you just seem like the type to appreciate the smaller, more intimate details rather than the over the top. A smaller affair makes it easier to spend time with your guests as opposed to ignoring them the entire night."

The connotation of Eric's words was not lost on Quinn. Everyone at the table had quieted down and had begun observing the slowly brewing dispute between the two large men. Quinn might have been larger than Eric and probably stronger too, but Eric had numbers on his side. It helped to know everyone at the table had your back.

Quinn was quickly losing his temper; his face had turned beet red and the veins running through his neck were pulsing with rage. He didn't know who this new asshole was, or how he knew details of his failed relationship with Sookie, but what he did know was that New Guy was about to get intimately acquainted with his knuckles. Quinn quickly rose from the table, fists clenched in anger, ready for a fight. Eric, while panicked on the inside, wore a mask of calm on his features. "Really? You're going to start a bar fight? That might not be the best idea."

"Oh no? I know I'll feel a whole hell of a lot better after I pound your face into the pavement."

"Your violent tendencies just go to further cement Sookie's brilliant decision in leaving you. Besides, you might have the advantage one on one, but you know this wouldn't be just between me and you." To emphasize Eric's point, Jason, Tray, Hoyt, and Alcide stood up, looking intimidating. Even Pam joined in; she might be petite, but never count her out of a fight. She once knocked a girl out cold during a Gucci sale and was never afraid of a challenge.

Sam walked over with the baseball bat he kept behind the bar for times like this in hand. "There isn't going to be a problem here, right? Quinn, weren't you leaving? Or do I have to let these boys show you the door?"

Just to make his point, Quinn leaned over and placed a kiss on Sookie's cheek before he grabbed his coat and stormed out. Everyone took their seats and Sam went back behind the bar. Eric could feel all of the tension leave his body, but sadly, it flowed directly into Sookie.

"Where do you idiots get off acting like that? I can't count the number of times I told you I want to work on being friends with Quinn but every time he makes an effort you meat heads threaten him! I can't look at any of you right now."

Luckily she didn't leave the bar, but just stormed off towards the back end, through a door marked "Employees Only". Jason was the first to find his voice, "I vote Eric to go talk to her. I don't think she was mad at him, only us."

Eric glanced around the table and realized he was officially nominated. Amelia and Pam both gave him a nod of support, and Tray passed him a shot of liquid courage which Eric declined at first, only taking it when the look on everyone's faces told him he'd need it. He stood hesitantly at the door before Sam gave him the okay to go in his employee lounge. The look on Sookie's face was a mixture of hurt and rage.

"Don't think I didn't realize how much you were antagonizing him. I don't know what those morons told you, but I don't hate Quinn. We only broke up because he wasn't there for me when I needed him. I still value him as a friend even if everyone thinks I'm crazy for doing that."

"I know, Sookie, and I'm sorry if I acted disrespectfully. I just…"

"Just what? Needed to lift your leg and mark your territory? You were so underhanded out there, trying to piss him off under my radar while throwing compliments my way. Do you think I'm that dumb that I wouldn't catch on?"

"No, Sookie, I would never think that, but please…"

"I can't deal with you right now. What you said in the cab was right, this is too easy. Of course you had to go and mess it all up. You're no better than he is just because you didn't get violent, so get off your high horse. Let me fill you in on women, Eric. We don't like being treated like a piece of meat or a prize to be won. If that was the name of the game tonight, you both lost. So just go home and leave me alone."

"If that's what you really want."

"Yes, it's what I want. Go!"

He left feeling completely dejected. He walked back to the table and the look on his face must have spoken volumes. Pam was quick to reach in her purse, throw down some money to cover their drinks, while offering their mutual send offs before leading him out the door. They were just about to get in a cab before Amelia exited the bar and stopped them with a shout, "I'll talk to her. Everything will work out."

The best friends rode home in silence. Eric couldn't form words to express how much he hurt and Pam knew nothing she said would comfort him. She followed him into his apartment, but he completely ignored her besides to ask her to take Clancy out for him. He stopped dead in his tracks when he looked at the table, still covered in his notes. He calmly approached it, gathered up the sheets of paper, throwing them all in the trash. The book was about her, for her, and he couldn't look at it. He entered his bedroom and slammed the door shut, knowing that Pam would bring Clancy back up and lock the front door for him.

His adventure back into the real world was shot down after not even a week of trying. He knew he wasn't ready, knew everything was moving too fast. He was re-emerging as a person he barely recognized. He took off the designer clothes, pulled on his lounge pants, messed up his designer hair cut, and in a final step, placed his wedding band back where it belonged. This process was easy when things were going his way, but this road block was the type you turn back from. It made it abundantly clear he couldn't handle this life yet. His last memory of the night was the sound of Pam locking the door of the apartment as Eric shut the door on trying again.

**AW! Angsty Eric is back :( Let's hope he doesn't stick around for long. Please leave a review, every time my inbox dings an angel gets its wings.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Wow, what a negative response to the end of chapter 6! So many of you were angry at Sookie for her reaction to the Eric/Quinn altercation. Seriously, something had to go wrong. I couldn't let everything be sunshine and rainbows on the first date. A little angst never hurt anyone. I hope this chapter gets a more positive response. I wouldn't want to turn anyone off to the story, and I hope most of the disappointment was directed at Sookie and not me.  
**

**I'd also like to share my excitement and utter shock when I realized this story hit 100 reviews in 6 chapters! Very, very exciting for me. Thanks to everyone who takes the time to send a little love, or a little criticism my way. Since I started writing, I've been leaving more reviews to my favorite authors. They really are important in the writing process. I take every suggestion into consideration while developing the plot line. **

**Many thanks to chisaii-kitty, my beta machine who has been getting these chapters back to me within the hour. I love reading all the comments she leaves me, they just crack me up!**

**Disclaimer: It's not mine, but I wouldn't kick a Viking out of bed ;)  
**

Sookie stormed into her apartment, throwing her coat at the closet, not even bothering to hang it up properly. She knew Amelia would be in right behind her and would fix her anger-driven mess. She was not speaking to Amelia at the moment, however. The entire cab ride back had been spent with Amelia pointing out all of Eric's positive attributes. Sookie didn't want to hear any of it; she wanted to stew in her rage directed at her one-time favorite author. She shot Bob an angry look that had the small dog running in no time. She was snapped out of her haze when Amelia finally entered their home and locked up for the night.

"Sure Sookie, I'll pay for the cab fare and clean up your mess. Hm, clean up your mess, that sums up what I'll have to do with Eric tomorrow, too."

"I never asked you to hold his hand and teach him how to be a boyfriend. I never asked you to push us together. I never asked you to meddle in my life! In fact, I never asked you to move here from Louisiana either!"

"Sookie, you don't mean that. Stop being a bitch because you're angry at me. Just go to bed and talk to me when you can act like a rational person. Just don't be mad at Eric. He only did what he did because Jason and I told him to make it clear to Quinn who you were with."

"See! You were meddling in my life, in what had potential to be an amazing relationship, and messed everything up! You and Jason always have to be there to clean up my life and tell me what to do. Don't you notice that when you interfere, you only mess everything up? So if you're so into Eric, why don't you ask him out because I'm done with him?"

"You don't mean that either. Just go to bed and we'll talk in the morning."

With that both girls stormed off into their respective bedrooms for the night. Sookie tossed and turned for hours, not able to fall asleep feeling as angry as she did. It felt as if she had only been asleep for minutes when there was a knock on her bedroom door. It was morning already and Amelia's voice said through the door, "Sookie, someone's here to speak to you."

Had Eric found their address and come to talk to her? Maybe Amelia had given it to him since they were so close. They really should be together, get married, and have a bunch of kids. Sookie had to take a deep breath and calm herself down before she worked up another fit. She wanted to calmly tell Eric to leave her alone permanently. She slipped a bra on under her pajamas and opened the door. She was shocked to see two blonds next to her roommate, and that one of them was sniffing Bob's butt.

"Pam, what are you doing here? How did you get my address?"

"Amelia gave it to me this morning when I called her. This is Clancy, Eric's dog. You're going to bring him back to Eric's apartment later today. I took him home last night after it looked like Eric was going back inside himself. I didn't want the little guy to suffer because Eric's head was too far up his ass to realize fighting is just part of being a couple."

"Sorry to be the one to tell you this, but I'm done with him. Maybe Amelia can bring Clancy over when she meets Eric for their first date. Didn't you know they're the ones that are supposed to be together?"

"I hate to be the one to tell you this, but Amelia would rather get in my pants than Eric's. When you're done being stubborn, go to him. The address is on the dog tag. The two of you need to talk this mess out. You mean too much to each other to quit so easily. Give it a chance before you let your pride cause you to miss out on something special. I have to get to work, I can't play miracle worker all day."

She passed Clancy's leash to Sookie's hand on her way out the door. Sookie just looked down at the floor for a few minutes, allowing Pam's words to sink in. She admitted to being too prideful at times. She was raised to be independent, but she took hard headedness to a new level. Maybe she was acting like a stubborn child by not allowing Eric a chance to explain.

"You said last night you and Jason forced Eric to act the way he did."

"Yeah, we saw it as a shot of getting Quinn out of the picture and getting you with a guy that would treat you properly. He didn't know how to handle the situation so we pushed him into trying to claim you. It wasn't the right thing to do Sook, I'm sorry."

"It's alright. I know you guys don't like Quinn; I just didn't realize how far you would go to get him away from me. You could have really hurt Eric with all this nonsense; you know he's having a hard time moving forward. It was wrong to use him like you did."

"I know, it was pretty shitty of us. Do you want me to go over to his apartment with you?"

"No, we can work this out on our own. His dog's pretty cute. A blond dog for a blond guy huh?"

"Don't forget about the blonde girl!"

"Speaking of blonde girls, I guess you're going through a girl phase again. How are you going to tell Tray you don't want to see him anymore?"

"I won't. I have no problem seeing them both. Hopefully neither of them will mind sharing."

The friends broke out into laughter and all traces of tension left the apartment. There had been many nights Sookie came home from a late night of studying during college to find Amelia in bed with partners of both genders. Amelia finished getting ready and headed out to the gym to teach her morning class. Sookie took her time getting washed for the day, trying to figure out the right thing to say to Eric. She slowly ate her oatmeal, still stalling, afraid of Eric's reaction when he would see her at his door. She finally got dressed and headed out the door, prepared for whatever fate brought her way in regards to Eric.

* * *

He awoke the next morning feeling more like the shell of a human he had grown accustomed to being. He dragged himself out of bed and after a stop in the bathroom, shuffled through the living room calling for Clancy to come for their morning walk. When nothing happened in response, he spotted the note left on the back of his front door.

_Eric,_

_I took Clancy back to my apartment as I couldn't predict how you would be acting today. I'll bring him back in the morning before I head into the office. I found your outline in the trash and salvaged it. It was your first date, give her another chance. Don't give up on yourself just because you think this girl isn't the one. We'll talk more tomorrow._

_~Pam_

It was noon. Pam had to be in the office by now. He was wondering why she hadn't brought back Clancy, as promised. Eric could really use the company right about now. He was pulled out of his thoughts with a knock at the door. He opened the door and was prepared to explain his haggard appearance to a snippy Pam, but was instead surprised at the sight of Sookie holding on to Clancy.

"Hi," he greeted her with his shock reflecting in his voice.

"Hey there. Can we come in?"

"Of course, but how did you get Clancy? Pam didn't dump him on you did she? If so, I'm sorry on her behalf."

"It's not a problem. She stopped by this morning to knock some sense into me. She asked me to bring him back so she could get to work."

"Knocked sense into you? She didn't hit you, did she? It wouldn't be the first time she's taken out a fan."

"No, but her words certainly pack a punch. I acted like an idiot last night, Eric. I was just so angry, and I never gave you a chance to give your side of the story. Amelia told me that she and Jason were pushing you into acting like you did. We never talked about Quinn before, there was no way you could have handled the situation any better. I should have told you ahead of time my ex would be joining us. I'm sorry for everything."

Eric took a moment to absorb everything Sookie told him. He prepared Clancy's breakfast, which the dog ate in a matter of minutes. Pam didn't have the foresight to bring a can of food with her, and poor Clancy was eating far later than he was used to. Sookie wanted to break the tension that was growing between her and Eric.

"He's a great dog. Where did you find him?"

"Pam adopted him for me shortly after Felicia passed away. He's a guide dog reject, so he was completely trained when he came here. Supposedly, it takes years of waiting to adopt rejected or retired guide dogs but a massive donation goes a long way to getting your name to the top of the list."

"That explains a lot. But why was he rejected?

"He's afraid of cats and other small animals. He'd flip out whenever a squirrel walked past him while he was leading. After months of training they still weren't able to break him of the habit so they failed him out of the program."

"That's why he was giving Bob a sideways glance."

"He and Bob are friends; they met at the dog park. It's funny, I've had him for three years, and I've been walking him through the park the entire time. I've never come across that dog park before I met you. Then the day I first saw you, we find it and I find Amelia. Then I found that the two of you were friends and everything came together. Just as easily, it all fell apart. I'm sorry I acted like an asshole, Sookie. Thanks for bringing him over, but if you want to leave you can. I'll be fine."

She sensed he was withdrawing so she walked across the room to stand closer to him, taking both his hands into hers and squeezing gently. She noticed the wedding band on his ring finger, but couldn't remember seeing it there last night.

"I want to talk about this Eric. Please don't shut me out."

"Like you shut me out last night?"

_Ouch_. "I deserved that. But I'm here today to ask for your forgiveness. Please, talk to me; let me in so we can fix this."

"Fix this? Sookie, you haven't even known me a week. There is no this, there is no us, so just leave. This is the real me, Sookie. Is this the kind of person you want to be with? Amelia is right, you deserve someone amazing in your life and that's not me. I don't know how to be a boyfriend; I don't know the right thing to do in awkward situations. I thought you were the one who was going to pull me out of this but I was wrong. You only sent me farther back in. So thank you for bringing Clancy over, but you can just leave. Here, have something to remember me by. I'll even autograph it for my favorite fan."

He grabbed the stack of papers Pam had taken out of the trash, threw a quick signature on it and shoved it at her. The entire time he never met her gaze. If he had, he would have seen the tears that were threatening to spill down her cheeks.

"No."

"No? You're refusing to leave my apartment? That's known as trespassing in this city."

"I'm not letting you give up on this."

"You don't have that option, Sookie, I've already tapped out. See this?" He waved his ring finger in her face. "I took this off for the first time last night to show you how ready I was. I was kind to you at dinner, I worked hard to overcome my social anxiety to make nice with your friends, I did everything I could to impress you last night. So what do you do? You scream at me for being a fuck up, telling me to leave you alone. So I left you alone. I came home, and…"

"And gave up, Eric." Sookie could feel the anger bubbling back up inside of her. "You gave up. You went back to what's easy and familiar. You went back to being the mourning recluse after one bump in the road. I'd hate to break it to you, but life isn't easy. It's hard and you have to fight for what you want sometimes. What I want is you."

With that, she reached up to his face and pulled it down to hers for a kiss. He fought her at first, resisting her advances, but soon caved to her desire when he realized how right it felt to have her lips on his. She put all her passion and anger into that kiss, determined to show him how badly she wanted him. He finally responded by lacing the fingers of one hand through her hair, while the other hand sought the soft curve of her back, pulling her closer to him. His warm tongue traced the seam of her lips, begging entrance which she granted with relish. Soon, her tongue was dueling with his in a battle of dominance. They stood there for minutes that felt like hours, exploring each other's mouths.

He could feel his resolve melting away with every second that passed with Sookie's lips on his. After Felicia, he had never imagined kissing another woman, let along enjoying as much as he was. A conflict was battling its way through his mind, but his heart knew exactly what it wanted. He needed to learn to ignore the voice of dissent in his mind, and listen to the voice of desire in his heart. He needed to learn to live in the moment as opposed to the past and he knew Sookie would be the one to teach him how.

Neither wanted to pull away, but the need for oxygen was slowly beating out their passion. She took a hesitant step back, eyes still closed, chest heaving from the exertion of the kiss. Her eyes fluttered open and sought his. When their gaze locked, she could see the intensity in his eyes and that his chest was raising and falling just as heavily as hers. She traced her fingers down the side of his face, and across his lips, still wet, still wanting. She could feel his rough thumb taking a similar path down her cheek.

He was the first to find his voice. "Wow," was all he was able to say, his mastery of the English language failing him.

"Yeah," she was equally as tongue tied.

"You're one crazy dame, you know that."

"Yeah."

They shared a laugh, finally breaking apart. He quickly knelt down to the floor to pick up the forgotten papers she threw down in her moment of passion. "What are those?"

"It's a story board for the fourth book. Once again, you inspire me."

He grabbed the pen from the table and wrote across the top of the first page, _Danger is a Dame_.

"What's that?" Sookie's mind still had not caught up on processing what was going on around her.

"It's the title. I guess I have no choice in this matter. I can't throw my muse away so easily. No one has inspired this much creativity out of me this quickly ever. As much as I want to, I can't throw this away," he reflected on his words, and couldn't decipher if he meant Sookie or the story. He came to the conclusion he wanted both.

"I hope I can be more than just a muse. I'd sort of prefer the title of girlfriend."

He paused for a moment, studying the band on his finger which suddenly felt a few sizes too small. "We've got to go slow on this, Sookie. I'm trying hard to find myself again. I need to know who I am before I can figure out who you want me to be. I want you in my life, but we have to go one step at a time. And we have to communicate."

"Agreed. No more shutting each other out. We'll take it nice and slow, as slow as we both want, whatever feels right to us."

"Good. Now come back here so I can kiss you like that again."

"That doesn't sound very slow to me."

"So you don't want me to kiss you?" he asked with a wicked smile finding its way to his lips.

"I want it more than anything. Just double checking that we're on the same page. But I need an equalizer, you've got at least a foot on me and my neck is starting to cramp."

He lead her to the couch where he took a seat on the arm, effectively lowering his face to her level. She wrapped her arms around his neck and his hands found their way to her hips. They kissed, alternating between unbridled passion and small innocent kisses as they found the perfect rhythm. The sound of his phone buzzing from his pocket snapped them both back to reality.

"Is that your phone in your pocket, or are you just really happy to see me?"

He laughed at her sudden boldness and checked the caller ID. He sighed at Pam's intrusion.

"You have the worst timing," he answered breathless from the kiss.

"What are you talking about? Why are you out of breath?"

"Sookie came over with Clancy and we were having a moment. A moment that you ruined." Sookie silently shook her head denying that their make out session had come to an end.

"A sexual moment? You cock block me last night and now you're getting some?"

"So one track minded, Pam. No, everyone has their clothes on. But does it still count as a cock block when there's no cock involved? Anyway, what did you want?"

"Just wanted to see if you were still on board for book four and the movie sequel. The contracts for both are on my desk, hot off the press. I was a little worried for the future of the book after I had to pull it out of the trash last night."

"Yeah, I snapped out of it with a little prodding from a certain blonde muse that would much rather that I be kissing her as opposed to talking to you. I'll sign on for both. I've got a title for the book by the way, _Danger is a Dame_. What do you think, oh editor goddess?"

"Oh, it's perfect! Keep it, I love it. But if she's the one prodding you, I think you might have forgotten more of the mechanics of heterosexual sex than I originally thought. You see, when a man wants to bone a woman..."

"Good bye, Pam."

"Bye, Eric. Welcome back, again. Don't make me say that anymore. Stay in the land of the living. We like you there."

He hung up the phone, throwing it on the coffee table that sat beside the couch. He returned his attention to Sookie, ghosting his fingers down the sides of her face. He wanted to hold on to her, to believe this feeling could be real. He was shocked back to his senses when he realized how foolish his hand looked with a wedding band on it while touching another woman. For the first time, he wanted to take off the ring, not ignore what he was feeling.

He pressed a small kiss to the tip of her nose and wandered away to his bedroom to put the ring back where it belonged. It couldn't act like a security blanket anymore. Once again, he placed it beside Felicia's ring in her jewelry box. He stared at the two bands sitting side by side for a moment before Sookie's voice broke the silence.

"She would want you to be happy. She wouldn't want you to be this miserable."

"I think I've known that all along. It was just too hard to accept." He ran his fingers reverently across the top of the box. "I want to be happy; I can't live my life like this anymore. There's too much out there that I'm missing."

"When was the last time you had a proper Thanksgiving dinner? I kicked you out before the gang made plans for next week."

"Honestly, never. Being from Sweden, we don't celebrate the American holiday. Felicia couldn't cook to save her life, so she never attempted the whole ordeal of the turkey dinner. Our typical Thanksgiving was having Pam and some other friends over for turkey sandwiches from the deli and watching American football on TV. Everyone would come over early since the parade passes right by the windows. One of the many perks of living on Central Park West."

"Oh my god, you're kidding right? You can watch the parade from your window? That is so cool! Here I was wanting to invite you to dinner at our apartment, but now I kinda want to come here! Oh jeez, did I really just invite myself over?"

"No, why don't you come over? Were you planning on cooking for everyone?"

"Yup, I make a mean turkey, but we've got all the sides too. It was going to be me, Amelia, Jason, Sam, Tray, Hoyt, and Jess, maybe a few others if Jason and Sam bring dates. I think they can manage for a bit while I sneak down here to watch the parade. I've always wanted to see it live, I wanted to go last year but everyone vetoed my idea saying it was too crowded."

"Why don't you move dinner here? That way everyone can watch the parade."

"That would be amazing! Your apartment is way larger than mine or Jason's. You really don't mind everyone coming over? To be fair, they all liked you last night. They all took your side and were mad at me when I kicked you out."

"Come by whenever you like, the parade usually hits my block around 9:15. I would love to have everyone over. It's the start of a new life, so it deserves a new tradition. This is one year I suddenly have a lot to be thankful for. You don't mind if Pam joins us, she'd be heartbroken if we didn't include her."

"Considering she's the reason I'm here right now, I don't think we could have dinner without her. Oh this is going to be so cool! I can't wait to tell everybody! They're going to be so excited."

"As excited as you are?"

"Not about coming here for dinner. About me finding someone who can pull my head out of my ass when I'm being stubborn."

They laughed, and he pulled her back into his embrace, kissing the top of her head as she nuzzled her face into his chest. They stood there for a while just holding each other, comfortable just being with the other. Eric could not believe how right it felt to have Sookie in his arms but knew he'd give anything to keep her there.

A glance at the clock told Sookie it was time for her to head out; she had to get ready for work. As much as she didn't want to, she tore herself away from his arms and exited the bedroom. He followed closely behind her, pulling her into one last breathtaking kiss before she could leave. He stared at the door for a while after she left, in a state of shock at the events of the day. Clancy pulled him out of his thoughts by running laps around the apartment. Eric took the hint and grabbed his hyper companion's leash ready to find out what else life had in store for him.

**A/N 2: I had to throw a little sprinkle of zest on things to keep my readers!! I couldn't leave you disappointed for long. I intended the angst to go on a little longer, but so many of you vetoed that idea. Someone has to get Sookie's head on straight! Stay tuned for the next installment, where we find the now happy couple celebrating Thanksgiving! I have the feeling that someone's bringing lemon squares for dessert ;)**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: It's my longest chapter to date, I just had so much I wanted to get in and the end of the chapter sort of took on a life of its own. I do love the holidays and at this time of year, Thanksgiving takes top billing. I'm a week late, but here's the Danger gang's turkey dinner. Warning, there's an extra citrusy post-dessert treat for all of ya! Enjoy!!**

**Beta'd by the fantastic chisaii-kitty, any remaining mistakes are my own.**

**Disclaimer: Charlaine Harris owns most of them but Alan Ball owns Daphne and Jessica. **

The next week flew by in the blink of an eye. Eric and Sookie had developed a comfortable pattern while spending time together. They would meet at the gym every morning at ten o'clock to work out together. With Sookie's gentle guidance, Eric found himself in the weight room, trying to get back in the shape he was before apathy ruined his physique. After separate showers in the locker rooms, the couple would get lunch together, occasionally accompanied by Amelia or other friends from the gym. They would then venture back to his home to spend the afternoon together.

They would sometimes watch television while talking, sharing more details of their lives. Other times, they would just enjoy each other's company with Sookie snuggled in Eric's lap while he wrote. No matter what they found themselves doing over the course of the day, kissing was definitely part of the plan. Neither could get enough of the taste of the other's lips. Whether they were talking or sharing comfortable silence, they could feel the fledgling relationship growing every day.

Thanksgiving was soon upon them and Sookie was over bright and early to start prepping the meal. Without fail, by nine everyone was in the apartment, excited for the start of the parade. Pam and Amelia looked very cozy in their greeting. It was obvious to Eric that his relationship wasn't the only one getting deeper. Jason, Crystal, Hoyt, and Jessica arrived together letting everyone know that Sam would be there soon with his date. Sookie was excited to see her boss and friend enter with one of the new waitresses she had hired, Daphne. The girl might have been dumb as a bag of rocks, but she was sweet and a good match for Sam. Tray was the last to arrive and looked a little dejected at how comfortable Pam was sitting with Amelia. It seemed he didn't like to share as much as Amelia had hoped.

It was hard to believe that everyone in the room was over the age of twenty-five, let alone over the age of six. They were discussing their favorite balloons, arguing over which was the best. Considering the mild temperature, the friends found themselves on the balcony to watch the bands and floats go by. Every now and then, someone would wander back in the house to check on the turkey or start preparations on one of the many side dishes. As the parade began to draw to a close, Eric sensed a change in Sookie. She was nearly bouncing with excitement as the crowd's cheers grew louder.

"Sook, are you okay?"

She blushed when she realized she was caught. She couldn't think of a mature way to express her feelings but luckily Jason was more than happy to do so for her, "She's spazzing out because every year Santa closes the parade. Sookie's a little kid when it comes to seeing Santa. She drags my ass to the mall every year to get our photo taken with him."

She wanted to bury her head in her hands to hide her embarrassment, but hesitated from doing it so she wouldn't miss her favorite part of the parade. Eric held her a little closer, placing a reassuring kiss on her temple, whispering in her ear so only she could hear "Don't worry, dear one, I love all things Christmas too. I won't think any less of you if you freak out when he passes below us."

With that, she took her place back at the edge of the balcony, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she looked north up Central Park West for the jolly one's arrival. As soon as the majestic sleigh was in sight, she shouted, "Santa's here!"

Never was she more glad to be surrounded by friends, as in addition to laughing at her, they joined her in waving down to him, cheering over the roar of the crowd. Eric saw out of the corner of his eye even Pam cracked an amused smile when the float went by. As Santa marked the end of the event, they made their way back inside to begin setting up the dining area for the highly anticipated meal.

During the preparations in the days before the meal, Eric and Pam had done a little shopping to help get everything ready. In a rage during the first few days without Felicia, Eric had destroyed most of the items around the house that reminded him of her. This long list included their dishes, many kitchen appliances, Felicia's favorite linens; he even managed to tear apart their mattress with the kitchen knives. Some pieces had been replaced quicker than others, but Eric found his cabinets without anything proper to serve guests on. Pam had remedied everything within a few hours, she was a beast when it came to shopping and was more than happy to make all major decisions on patterns and brands for him. She was superb at spending other people's money.

Over the next few hours, the table had been set and decorated beautifully with candles and other finishing touches that set the festive mood. By four o'clock, the long table was covered completely with food and was surrounded by good friends who acted as family today. Before the start of the meal, Sookie insisted everyone share what they were thankful for this year. To get everyone in the mindset, she opted to start.

"I'm thankful for having all of you in my life and a good man who puts up with my crap at my side. When Gran first passed away, I was terrified to realize that the only family I had left was Jason. I realized how wrong I was when I felt how close we all had grown. My life feels complete once again, and it's all because of you guys." She tried to fight the tears that were threatening to spill and gladly looked to Jason to chime in next to take the attention off of her.

"I'm thankful for good friends and for having a good financial year. I'm very happy to be back in the black once again, completely debt free."

This tradition went around the table, some making heartfelt remarks as Sookie had, but others had opted to go different route. Pam had been thankful for her Christian Louboutins and Amelia's tongue. After the laughter died down it was left to Eric to make the closing remarks.

"I'm thankful for every second chance that has been granted to me in the last few weeks, plus a few third chances. I'm thankful to once again be able to say I have friends in my life, as well as someone who I care for and who inspires me every day."

Eric and Sookie's eyes met and the depth of emotion felt in that moment was not missed by either of them. Their silent exchange voiced everything that needed to be said. Jason was quick to end the silence by saying grace and ended with, "Let's dig in!"

The table was full of everything you could possibly imagine; a beautifully carved turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes with marshmallows, green beans almandine, corn bread, and several bottles of wine. Serving dishes were being passed around the table, with requests being shouted to either end for the next plate to be sent down. They ate in silence for a while, simply enjoying the great bounty of food placed before them. Eventually several conversations had broken out around the table. Eric was glad not to be the new person at the table, as Daphne took her turn in getting grilled. He was sure to pass her a glance that said 'been there, done that'.

As the eating began to wind down, Eric felt Sookie reaching for his hand under the table. Their fingers intertwined, and he pulled her chair a little closer to his own. He took the opportunity to wrap his arm around her, trying again to master the gesture that almost cost him everything. She curled into his side in response, tucking in perfectly with the lines of his body. The conversation around her started to hum gently into the background as she felt her eyes slowly shutting. Eric's soothing hand ran effortlessly along her side, lulling her deeper in to sleep. He felt her breathing even out and smiled down at his tuckered out chef.

"Cooking all this for us tired her out."

Sitting opposite them at the table, Jason was the first to notice Sookie had checked out. "Nah, she lives for cooking marathons like this. She's just tired from waiting up for Santa."

Letting Sookie take a break and leaving Eric to act as her pillow, the rest of the guests began clearing the table of dirty dishes and leftovers. Some milled about in the kitchen, but most of the guests had found their way to the couch to watch the game. Jason was soon flipping through the channels to watch as many at once, much to the dismay of his collected friends.

Despite all the activity in his home, he was blissfully ignorant of all of it. The apartment could have been burning down around him, but all he was focused on was the joy he felt at having Sookie asleep in his arms. Her gentle breathing was hot against his neck and her small fingers were gripping the front of his shirt. He allowed himself to get lost in the moment, eyes shut, as he fantasized about having her in his arms like this again and again. Nothing in his mind was sexual; he wanted nothing more than to be wrapped up with her, a mess of limbs and blond hair, tucked away where no one could bother them.

As if the room could read his thoughts, a sudden mass of shouting roused him from his thoughts and Sookie from her slumber. It appeared as though some team scored and everyone was happy. Sookie on the other hand was horrified. She tried to jump out of Eric's arms, but he was stronger and held her tightly in place. No one was taking her from him today.

"I can't believe I fell asleep during dinner! I should be helping clean up, or setting up dessert or something."

"The only thing you have to do right now is calm down and relax. You prepared all of this basically by yourself, you deserve a break. Everything is being handled so please just stay here with me."

A glance around the room confirmed what Eric was telling her. Dessert was being taken care of and the first few cakes were already on the table. Everyone was happy and no one needed anything from her. She looked up at Eric as she tried to find a new comfortable position.

"I'm sorry about that. My gran raised me to be a proper hostess, not to make your guests want for anything. I just was worried I let someone down."

"Well if that's the case, I'm the one at fault. You are all my guests, after all, and I'm just as curled up as you are. Why don't we just let someone else play host today and stay here together? They'll all be back at the table soon for dessert anyway."

Within a matter of minutes, the table had been reset by Amelia and Crystal's expert hands and a fine spread lay before them. Cakes and pies of a few different varieties, along with a tray of cookies and brownies, were tempting everyone from the couch. As soon as Daphne set the coffee pot down, there was a mass exodus of the living room back to the table to dig in. Every trace of chocolate and pastry was soon wiped from the table, the only evidence of the final course being the crumbs and serving utensils. Night had descended on the city and everyone sat around the table in a post-turkey coma. Sam was the first one up, "Daphne and I are going to head out. I decided to open the bar up tonight for a few hours."

Eric questioned this move, "People go out to a bar after Thanksgiving dinner?"

Sookie answered him with a laugh, "You'd be amazed at how many people want nothing more than to drink themselves stupid after a family gathering. Sam, you need any more help or can you and Daphne can handle it all?"

"Nah, we got it. Lafayette's meeting us there in a bit. We should be able to take care of it. If I need anything I'll be sure to call you. You were the only one to get a nap in today."

The newest couple left with a round of hugs and kisses. Hoyt and Jessica were the next to go, even on Thanksgiving the curtain would be going up. The rest of the group debated moving their gathering to the bar. This idea was quickly shot down when they realized no one wanted to move from the table let along across town. Taking their cue from the other guests, Amelia was the next to voice her intended departure.

"Pam and I are going to head back to her place. I don't think I need to say what we plan on doing." Their good byes were met with hoots and a few winks. Just as they were about to walk through the door, Pam turned back to the group. "Tray, you sure you don't want to join us?"

Tray sat for a moment, deep in contemplation. "Aw, what the hell, I'm in."

He ran from the table with a wave, leaving only Jason, Crystal, Sookie and Eric. Sookie shot her brother a look that made it clear she was hoping he would be gone soon too. This was not lost on Jason, who after a big hug for his little sister was out the door, date in tow. Eric stood to stretch, realizing he had been sitting at the table since the meal first started. He and Sookie began to clear the remnants of dessert from the table, stealing glances full of desire from across the table. They worked in tandem to clean the dishes that wouldn't fit in the dishwasher, and after some work, the kitchen and dining room were once again spotless.

Sookie went with Eric for a casual stroll through the park with Clancy to work off the full feeling that lingered after dinner. From the outside, they appeared to be a couple with years of experience on their side, not one that had only known each other less than two weeks. The walk was quickly over, since as night came around the city, it brought a chill to the air that had not been present during the day.

Back inside, they quickly looked for a way to warm up from the unexpected cold. They settled into the couch, wrapped under a warm blanket watching whatever old movie they both recognized. Within a matter of minutes, the movie was long forgotten as the couple got lost in each other. Sookie crawled into Eric's lap, straddling his legs and reaching up to kiss his face. She placed delicate kisses on each of his cheeks before he captured her lips with his in a sweet embrace. It was neither innocent nor rough, just enough pressure and passion to stir something inside them both.

Sookie felt moisture pooling between her legs as her hips began to move subconsciously, finding Eric as aroused as she was. Their kissing was getting more passionate, fingers gripping hair, arms pulling warm bodies tighter together. Eric was the first to break contact, stilling her hips with his hands.

"What happened, did I do something wrong?" Sookie asked, her voice full of concern.

"Nothing wrong, it's just that we agreed to go slow and things were starting to move a little too fast."

"I'm sorry; I guess I just got lost in the moment. It just feels too good to be this close to you." She took the chance to move closer to him, molding her body to his, pressing her full breasts firmly against him. Her lips found their way up his neck to his ear where she whispered, "I just want to make you feel good."

His head rolled back against the couch, his eyes closed as a moan was pulled from somewhere deep in his chest. His hands clenched on her hips. "It's been a long time for me, Sookie. I don't think…"

"Stop thinking so much. Don't you want to feel good?"

"Yes, more than anything right now, but don't you think it's too quick?"

"I'm not proposing a night of kinky sex, Eric. I just want to explore your body a little bit more with a little less clothing. If it makes you feel better, I can keep my clothes on the whole time."

In their time spent getting to know each other, clothing had stayed on. While he had entertained ideas of what he would like to do with Sookie, he never gave them much weight. He was dead set on taking things slow, making sure everything was right for their first time together. She wasn't suggesting sex, but he wondered what ideas were playing in her mind.

As if she sensed his confusion, she took his hand and placed a kiss in the center of his palm. She worked her way with kisses towards his fingertips. When she reached her destination, she took his entire first finger in her mouth, sucking on it eagerly. His hips bucked forward in response, and she took this as her green light.

She pulled his shirt over his head, taking a moment to study the lines of his chest. She started kissing his neck again, alternating between open mouthed kisses and playful nips with her teeth. As she moved down to his shoulders, he pulled her shirt off, craving the feel of her against him. He moaned at the first touch of her hot flesh. The lace of her bra was rubbing down his chest as she worked on covering every inch of his torso with her mouth. The different textures of smooth skin and rough lace were working him into a frenzy. He couldn't say no now even if he wanted to, but not one aspect of his being wanted to. His mind, heart, and cock were all in agreement for the first time in years; they all wanted Sookie.

She worked her way down to the waistband of his pants, easily undoing the belt that interfered in her journey. The button and zipper were the next in her path and she undid them with similar ease. Pulling his pants and boxers down his hips a gasp of shock left her mouth. She eyed his manhood in front of her and licked her lips in greedy anticipation. She had only seen two men naked in her lifetime and both paled in comparison to Eric. She wondered if she would even be able to fit its entire length in her mouth at once.

She settled between his legs, pulling the blanket with her and placing it under her knees for padding. She licked him from base to tip at a pace that was excruciatingly slow. As she finally reached the tip, she wrapped her lips around the head of his member and sucked gently, savoring the taste of the liquid that gathered there. Eric moaned as her hot mouth encased him, another ripped from his lips as she slid down his length. She repeated the motion several times, before bringing her hand to his base to stroke what she could not reach with her mouth. She found a slow, steady rhythm and her hand worked in perfect pace with her mouth.

He couldn't take his eyes of the angel between his legs. Her full lips around his cock was the sexiest thing he had ever seen. As she sensed him watching, her eyes looked up at him without missing a beat and met his gaze. He brought a hand to her head and let her silken hair fall through his fingers. He gently found a handful and followed her bobbing; letting her set the pace, just happy to have another point of contact with her.

He could feel his release building. It had been a long time since he felt the touch of a woman and feared he wouldn't last long. He dug the fingers of his other hand into the couch in an effort to fight the burning that was growing within him.

Sookie could feel him pulsing slowly in her mouth, could hear his breathing get shallow and his moans getting louder. He was saying something completely indecipherable; a language she could only assume was his native tongue. She broke contact with her mouth, "It's okay, come for me. I want to taste you." She returned to her ministrations, doubling their effort in the desire to bring him over the edge.

As her hand tightened around him, he screamed out, "Oh God, Sookie," and came undone. He felt his orgasm rip through him, lighting every nerve ending on fire as he came inside her mouth. She swallowed every drop he had to give her, releasing him from her mouth when he finished. She helped him fix his pants back into place before returning back up his body, molding herself to his side. His head was resting against the couch, eyes closed as he willed his breathing to return to normal.

His eyes opened a crack and connected with hers, a playful smile gracing her lips. "That was amazing. Thank you."

"No need to thank me. I've wanted to do that since our first day in the diner. Oh, jeez, did I say that out loud?"

She buried her face in his shoulder. He pried her away, finding her lips in a soft kiss. "After what you just did, now you chose to be embarrassed?"

He flipped their position so she was lying down on the couch, with him on top of her supporting most of his own weight. Her act of boldness had inspired his own. Their mutual desire was obvious and if she was willing to take the step she had, she surely wouldn't mind him returning the favor. His lips found her ear, and the delicate place right behind it where it met her neck. He had learned she loved to be kissed in that place. "I'd love to reciprocate, to take the chance to get better acquainted with every inch of you."

She moaned and arched her body into his so every available area of skin was touching. He returned the attention she had paid to his neck, loving every moan and gasp it pulled from her. He moved his hands to caress the skin of her sides, tracing from the waistband of her pants up to the strap of her bra along her ribs. She shuddered under his delicate touch, and moaned as he repeated the motion with a greater amount of pressure. He palmed her breasts over the fabric of her bra, fumbling slightly with the clasp due to his lack of practice. Within seconds, he had it off and gently pulled it away from her revealing her breasts.

Every instinct in her mind told her to cover herself out of modesty, but her prior actions pulled her far in the opposite direction. She also worried if she moved to cover her body, it would hurt Eric's ego or feelings. She quieted her mind so she could take her own advice to just enjoy the feeling and get lost in the moment. The feel of Eric's lips on her skin was setting her ablaze. As soon as his lips wrapped around her nipple, all traces of modesty and ladylike behavior went out the window. She gave in to the feeling, moaning loudly, begging for more. Her wanton actions spurred Eric on his exploration. He lavished the same attention on her right breast as he had her left, licking and sucking until the nipple had pebbled tightly. He worked farther south, kissing along her ribs following the same path his hands had created before.

He looked up to her for a sign to continue. "More, Sookie?"

"Please, for the love of all that is good, don't stop. I need to feel you on me."

That was all the encouragement he needed. He flicked the button of her jeans open, pulling the zipper down slowly. He helped her stand so he could pull the offending garment down past her hips and the curve of her legs. He had her sit back down on the couch and situated himself between her legs, reversing their earlier position. He kissed along the inside of her leg from knee to the crux of her legs, only to stop dangerously close to the line of lace created by her panties. He repeated his trail on her other leg, starting this time at her ankle to increase the anticipation. His decision was rewarded with another phrase of encouragement from Sookie, "Please, Eric, touch me. I need to feel you on me, in me."

As soon as the words left her mouth, her underwear joined the rest of her clothes in a pile on the floor. He inhaled the scent that was distinctly Sookie. He placed one leg over his shoulder, spreading her legs before him, opening up her most intimate of places to his touch. Her hands found their way to his hair, grabbing tightly, urging him towards her center. She was not being as gentle as he had when she was in his position. She needed him and was not afraid to show him how great her need was.

Her whole world stopped the minute his tongue touched her clit. All she could feel, could think, was centered around him. He was thankful for his neighbors and their level of deafness, as he had no one else to worry about hearing the moans and screams he drew from her. They were all for him, and he drank them in, using them to fuel his movements. He inserted a long finger inside her, working it in sync with his tongue on her nub. As a second finger found its way to her core, he angled it just right to rub along her G-spot and had her trembling in his hands. He stroked her, alternating his pace's speed to build her growing desire. Every time he slowed his touch, her hips would buck wildly, begging for more. Each time, he was happy to indulge her.

He used her own words against her, "Come for me, Sookie. Just let go and come for me." The fire that was brewing in her belly spread to every inch of her body as the orgasm began. He refused to stop what he was doing and soon a second, and then third orgasm washed over her, leaving her a trembling mess.

He sat back on the couch, pulling her still shaking form into his lap, stroking her hair and placing small kisses on her temple and every other inch of her face he could reach. They sat like that, lost in their own post-coital haze for what felt like hours. Fingers continued their journey across each other's skin, both partners craving as much contact as possible.

Sookie forced herself to be the voice of reason. "It's getting late, I should be heading home. Unless I could spend the night here?"

Eric considered her question. Could he share his bed with another woman? Should this even be taking so much thought to come to a decision? He did enjoy having her sleeping in his arms at the dinner table. After the intimate acts they had just performed, sharing a bed should be easy and wanted. She sensed his hesitation.

"I don't have to stay, Eric. If that isn't a step you're ready for, then it's not one we should make. There's a big difference between a blow job and sleeping together. I shouldn't have even asked."

"No, you shouldn't feel bad for asking; it's a fair request. I just don't think I could share my bed that easily. I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Spending the night with each other is a big deal. It was just the part of my brain temporarily killed off by those orgasms speaking."

She placed another searing kiss to his lips before she stood up and started to get dressed again. He threw his shirt back on, and walked her to the door. Before she left, he said to her, "I'm getting there, Sookie, be patient with me. Just know that someday soon, I will take you in that bed all night without a moment's reprieve. You will fall asleep in my arms and wake to my lips against yours. But not a moment before we're both ready."

She shivered at the imagery in his words, knowing they were promises he intended to keep. "Just make sure I'm the first person to know when you're ready, because I'm letting you know now, I'm ready."

He smiled, loving the bold streak she showed today. "Well then, we're just waiting on me. Patience is a virtue, dear one. It will pay off in the end."

He closed the door behind her, sliding down its length to sit on the floor. Clancy ran over to him and began licking his face. "She's special, isn't she, boy? I hope you like her as much as I do, because I have the feeling she's going to be sticking around a while."

**A/N 2: Wowza, that's a big step for our little Eric! What do with think of Bold Sookie and Hesitant Eric? I'm liking the role reversal, it's not something I see very often in fanfiction. I think it fits well with the AU world I've created with these characters. I like a bold streak in my Sookie, hope you feel the same way since she's sticking around. Keep posted for the next installment! Love you guys!**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Ugh, this chapter kicked my ass. Luckily I had finished chapters 7 and 8 before I got to the nitty gritty of my sociology paper otherwise there would have been no updates this week. After pushing out 20 pages, my brain officially shut down. Race and education took the place of my author and his new muse. Nothing was coming to me, and I was getting awfully frustrated. After a little venting to my beta, I got back on track and chapters 9 and 10 took shape. I'm back to slightly lower word counts as compared to the last couple of chapters, but those were just chock full of info. Have no fear, shit goes down in this chapter too, there's just fewer characters to juggle so it takes less time to get through it. **

**Throwing this up tonight, and you can expect a snippit of a tease tomorrow in the Monday Teaser forum. Looking at the notes I jotted down, chapter 10 looks like it's going to be fun. I'm a little more than excited.**

**Thanks to my beta, chisaii-kitty, for beta-ing and acting as my therapist to help me through my first bought of writer's block. Sometimes, you just need to hear from someone else that the idea rumbling around in your brain is decent. I added a little more after she sent it back to me this morning so any remaining mistakes are my own.**

**Disclaimer: As much as I wish it was, none of this is mine. Props to Charlaine Harris and Alan Ball.**

The lovers made quick work of each other's clothing, throwing the offending garments about the room without a care. He ripped the dress from her body when the zipper wouldn't cooperate. She gasped, and stood before him in nothing more than a lacy bra and garters. He groaned, appreciating every inch, every curve of her body. The lace soon found its way to the floor in tatters as well.

He wrapped his arms around her, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. He threw her to the bed as if she weighed no more than a feather. He found his way between her legs, kissing his way up her body to meet her lips again. Attempting to gain the upper hand, she flipped them over, straddling his waist.

Her fingers raked their way down his chest, leaving red marks that served as trails of her journey. She slowly lowered herself onto him, beginning to join their two bodies at a most intimate junction. She moaned as he entered her inch by agonizing inch. His fingers found her hips and dug in, slowing her progress even farther.

"Please, I need you, need to feel all of you inside of me."

At her insistence, he rose to meet her suddenly, filling her completely in one swift motion. The scream that was ripped from her lungs brought a smile to his face. He began a tediously slow rhythm, grabbing her hips tightly as she tried to go faster. She might have been on top, but he never met a woman he couldn't break. Before the end of the night, he would have her yielding to his every desire, repeatedly.

She rose and fell, bringing her hands up her body, cupping her breasts. If his hands were too occupied controlling her speed, she would just have to take care of herself. Her fingers sought out her nipples and quickly got to pinching and teasing them to tight peaks. Between his cock deep within her and her own fingers work, her breathing was quickly becoming erratic. She closed her eyes, allowing her head to fall back, carelessly tossing her blonde locks about.

In an attempt to regain her attention, one of his hands left her hip. His thumb deftly found it's way to her clit, working her in time with the rise and fall of her hips. Her eyes found his gaze again, locking on her ice blue stare to his own. Her pace was getting faster with each passing moment and he could feel her clenching around him.

"God, I'm so close. Please, please I need you."

"That's it, Susannah, come for me." He quickened his own pace, meeting her thrust for thrust. The sound of their hips meeting, flesh on flesh, filled the room. She dug her fingers into his chest as she found her release, screaming for all who could hear her. As she tightened around him, it triggered his own orgasm. He pulled her down to his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around her as they rode out the aftershocks. She angled her neck so she could look deep into his eyes, where a myriad of emotions played out.

"Danger, I gotta tell ya. I think I'm fallin' in l..."

* * *

Eric woke with a start after dozing off in his office chair. That dream again. It was Saturday and this marked the third night in a row he was woken up by the same dream. This was the first time it came to him during a nap, however. Ever since Sookie decided to go on her exploratory trip of his entire body, he couldn't stop having these vivid sex dreams. She reprised her role as Susannah and he played the part of Danger. She never was able to get the words out at the end.

_If I could only sleep an extra minute._

Every morning he woke feeling like a teenager again having change out of his pajama bottoms to toss them in the laundry pile. If this kept up any longer, he'd have to either wash his clothes more often or invest in more pajamas. Either that or he might just have to keep his word and ravage her all night. At this point in his life, it felt like the best option.

The internal debate raged on; could he make love to another woman? The other night proved he could be physically aroused by her, but the intimate act of sex worried him. Doubtful thoughts plagued his mind, what if he couldn't meet her standards as a lover, what if he started thinking about Felicia during the act, and the worst, what if he said Felicia's name instead?

In every other aspect of his life, he was able to move forward and apply the new mantra of "live in the moment" but when it came to sex he was still stuck in park. He desperately wanted to stop thinking about it and just let life happen naturally. She had already voiced her desire to move things to a more physical level. Would she lose patience with him if he took too long? One fact he knew for certain, with the level of anxiety he felt, he'd never be able to perform.

A quick glance at the clock told him that Sookie would be getting out of work soon. Every night she called him when she got off work and talked to him the entire trip home. It kept her company and gave him the peace of mind she would be safe. He eagerly anticipated her call; he loved nothing more than to hear her voice. As if she could read his mind, the phone rang and flashed her name across the caller ID.

"Well hello there gorgeous, how was your shift?"

"Long. I'm exhausted. Luckily, I got a seat on the subway so no more standing."

"Congrats on the seat. Any drunks to entertain you for the ride?"

"There's one guy at the end of the car singing Christmas carols at the top of his lungs. The only problem is he doesn't know the words and is replacing them with profanity. Definitely ruining my memories of _White Christmas_."

"Does that mean your serenade at the gym tomorrow will be holiday themed?"

"You better believe it. I need to erase this guy from my mind. Luckily I'm getting off at the next stop. So, do you have any plans for tomorrow?"

"Oh, just meeting this beautiful woman at the gym in the morning. Other than that, I figured my afternoon would be spent in front of the computer getting more of my novel done. Care to change my mind?"

"Oh, I just heard about this great place a little ways downtown. I think you'll really like it. There's even a little café inside where we could grab lunch. I think you'll freak out."

"Like you freaked out for Santa?"

"You said you wouldn't bring that up! It's one month a year, cut me some slack."

"Oh, you know I love to tease you, lover."

"I'm going to hold you to that, mister. I'm at my apartment; I'm going to go pass out. I'll see you tomorrow, bright and early. Good night, Eric, sweet dreams."

"Sweet dreams, Sookie. Oh, any dress code for tomorrow?"

"Just be your usual sexy self. You know I love the way your ass looks in those jeans."

"Jeans it is. Sweet dreams, dear one."

As he hung up, he looked down at the phone with the biggest smile across his face. Just the sound of her voice made him happy. He saved his progress, shut down the computer, and performed his night time routine. As he laid down in bed, he glanced at the empty left side of his bed. For the first time, he thought the only thing that would make it look complete was Sookie curled up, nestled at his side. Sadly, for tonight, Clancy would have to take her place as his snuggling partner.

* * *

He stood under the shower at the gym trying to figure out where Sookie was taking him for their date today. She had been particularly cryptic during their workout. As promised, she played nothing but her holiday themed playlist. He never took an invested interest in her musical choices; most of them were songs he had never heard before anyway. If Christmas songs brought that signature smile to her face, he would survive the season happily.

He quickly finished up and dressed in the promised jeans and a green sweater. The air was starting to reflect the season. He was happy that sweater weather had returned; he always loved a chill in the air as it reminded him of Stockholm. He waited in the main lobby of the gym for Sookie to emerge from the ladies' locker room. Today, she looked a little dressier than usual, a tight sweater dress that hugged all the right curves and a pair of over the knee boots.

"Sookie, you never fail to take my breath away. Are you ready to go? Perhaps a little clue to our location?" He held an arm out for her and she wrapped her own around his.

"You want a clue? Not a chance. We'll be there soon enough. I tell you one thing, first stop is the café, I'm starving!"

A few subway transfers later, they arrived at Grand Central Station. They fought their way through the crowd and hailed a taxi to get them the rest of the way. Sookie gave the address to the driver, "225 Madison, please."

"That address sounds familiar. I just can't put my finger on it."

"You've probably been there before, but they have a few new exhibits I'm sure you'll like. Plus, I've never been, so even if you have, you can show me around. Claudine told me about it and it sounded like the type of place you'd love to visit."

"As long as I'm with you, I'm happy."

The cab pulled up to their final destination and Eric's face lit up upon recognition of the location as soon as they stepped out to the curb.

"The Morgan Library? This used to be one of my favorite places to kill an afternoon. I'd come here and wander the rooms for hours. I haven't been in years, Sookie, this is fantastic."

He pulled her into a kiss to show the depth of his appreciation. She could have stood there forever kissing him, but her stomach made its desires known. They paid their admission and headed right for the glass encased corner that held the casual café. They luckily found a table and dug into their lunch. It was a beautiful day, and the sunlight was streaming all through the courtyard. Eric was enchanted by the way the natural light danced and shone through her golden locks. She caught him staring, and called him on it.

"See something you like?"

"Most definitely. Are you ready to see the exhibits? What are they showing now?"

"There's a bunch, I figured we'd just wander through the galleries and the back rooms. The one I really want to see is the Dickens' display. It's the original manuscript of _A Christmas Carol_!"

"Of course _A Christmas Carol_ would draw you here. Wandering is my favorite way to see the museum. Would you believe they have a Gutenberg bible on display?"

"Is that some famous book or something?"

"It's the first book that was ever mass published. It started a revolution that made it easy to disperse the printed word. It's what made education of the written word possible."

"So it's a big deal."

"Very big deal, Sookie. I think historic books are my version of Christmas. I've always loved first editions and rare books. Just relax as we walk around, you have your own tour guide at your service."

They worked their way through the front galleries, spending a little while longer at the holiday display. Eric loved the glow in Sookie's eyes at the mere mention of all things Christmas and was more than willing to indulge her. She was just as excited at the Jane Austen exhibit, revealing her favorite book was _Pride and Prejudice_; behind the Danger series of course.

As the pair wandered the galleries, Eric would point out several of the more famous pieces that were being shown. There were many manuscripts that lined the displays in addition to art and paintings. They studied the graceful lines of the three hundred year old French sketches. Sookie came across several pages of sheet music. After studying the notes for some time, she began humming a few bars.

"Do you know what you're singing?"

"No, but I like it. Do you recognize it?"

"It's Puccini. He's an Italian composer who wrote some beautiful operas. What you're singing is from _La Boh__è__me_. It's one of his most famous works. At its heart, it's the love story of a seamstress and a poet. Tragic ending."

"I've never been a fan of tragic endings. I can barely watch the end of _Gone with the Wind_ anymore. I usually turn it off before it starts to get really sad."

"I have a recording at home, you might like it. I'll have to see if it'll be playing in New York any time soon. We could go see it if you like."

"I've never gone to the opera. I've seen a few Broadway shows, but never an honest to God opera. That would be amazing. But come on, let's see what else is here!"

He led her to the rooms that were part of the McKim gallery. Among them were Mr. Morgan's personal library and study. He loved the way the older rooms smelled; it was distinctly rich wood and old books. As they entered the library, Sookie's eyes were immediately drawn to the murals that covered the ceiling.

"You belong up there, you know."

"What are you talking about, Eric."

"Well, the paintings of men are some of the great thinkers and writers, that tier represents the signs of the zodiac, and the most beautiful women up there represent the great muses." He embraced her from behind, wrapping her with his larger frame. He placed kisses from her shoulder to her ear and whispered, "You are my muse. I find inspiration in everything you do, every smile across your face, every sound that escapes your beautiful lips."

As if on cue, she moaned, and melted into his arms. "You definitely have a way with words. Guess that's why you're an author, huh?"

"Mhm," he moaned into her neck, which reverberated throughout her entire body. "I've been dreaming of you every night. You haunt my every thought. I crave you, Sookie Stackhouse. And while my mind hasn't completely caught up with my body, I seem to have a new obsession with exploration."

His lips continued their trip along her neck as his hands worked their way up her sides, but she stopped him.

"We're in public; anyone can walk through that door at any moment. If you're feeling a little frisky, why don't we head back to my place?"

With that, he took her hand and led her back through the winding rooms. As much as she insisted on taking the subway more often as it was more cost efficient, time was his main concern. He needed to have her in his arms, her lips on his, more than anything. They were in a cab, heading back to her apartment in no time.

She may have been concerned with public displays of affection in a museum, but she didn't seem to have any qualms about taxi cabs. She was in his lap as soon as her address left her lips. The driver had to clear his throat several times to alert the couple currently acting like horny teenagers in the backseat they had arrived. Eric threw some money his way and was soon chasing Sookie up the stairs to her apartment.

They burst through her front door, a tangled mess of limbs and lips and were greeting with a shriek. Amelia was a blur, running back into her bedroom as Pam gave them her most annoyed glare, naked as the day she was born. Sookie buried her face in Eric's chest to divert her gaze as well as hide her embarrassment.

"A bit of modesty, Pam?"

With a dramatic roll of the eyes, Pam gathered her clothes and sulked into the bedroom. Amelia came out, tying her robe around her frame and straightening out her hair.

"You were supposed to be gone all afternoon! Why are you back so early!?"

"We saw enough of the museum and wanted to just hang out before I had to head to work. This is my apartment too! I can come back anytime I like! Besides, you were supposed to be working at the gym."

"Jason overbooked the studios so my class got canceled. I grabbed lunch with Pam, instead."

"You have a perfectly good bed just through that door, why did you have to be all naked out in the living room? We had an agreement, no funny business out here."

"As I said, you weren't supposed to be here. Beds are so passé; we were just having a little fun on the couch."

"I'm getting my uniform and going to Eric's place. I've seen enough boobs for today."

Pam emerged from the bedroom to add, "She's leaving? So I got dressed for nothing?"

Eric couldn't help but laugh at the situation that played out before him. Instead of being hurt, he took it as a sign that it wasn't the right time for their own foreplay. He gave his friend a wink and followed Sookie into her bedroom.

"Dear one, I'd hate to be a buzzkill but..."

"The moment's passed, I get it. That's just not what I wanted to see today."

"Why don't we just relax for a bit before you have to go to work?" With that, he laid down on her bed, patting the space in front of him indicating his desire for her to join him. With a smile, she did just that and he curled up behind her to spoon. He wrapped his arms around her and she relaxed against him.

"What time do you have to be at the bar?"

"Six."

"Why don't you close your eyes for a little while? You should rest before you have to head to work. Now get some sleep, I'll be here when you wake."

Eric kissed her temple and ran his hand softly along her arm and back. He felt her breathing even out and could tell she had fallen asleep. He slipped his phone out of his pocket to set an alarm and let the warmth from Sookie's body radiate through his own to lull him to sleep. He prayed her body in his arms would keep the dreams away. Waking up with a wet spot in his pants was not the way he intended to seduce his Sookie.

**A/N2: Was that little tease at the beginning too mean? I wasn't ready to throw these two into bed, but I was in a particularly lemony mood. Dream sequences are the next best step, right?**

**The Morgan Library and Museum is a real place in NYC, and that is the correct address. I haven't been there yet, but I want to go. It came up in a discussion during my Foundations of Education class a few weeks ago. Eric's freak out about the importance of the printing press and Gutenberug bible were modeled after my professor. Thanks, Dr. Montgomery!! If you want to learn more about the museum, as well as see images of some of the collections, check it out at http : // www . themorgan. org. Hopefully I represented it well.**

**Does anyone else call somebody when walking home late at night? My roommate in college got me in the habit and now whenever I'm walking around alone I call a friend or my boyfriend for a little comfort. Some say it's dangerous because you're not devoting your full attention to your surroundings, but I can multitask better than that. **

**Ciao darlings!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I really hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. It was a blast!! Way more fun than the last chapter. Glad to have my muses back on my side.**

**Thanks to my beta, chisaii-kitty, for giving it the once over and for her always hilarious comments. She cracks me up!! After this, go read Allegro, she just updated it the other day and it's awesome.**

**Disclaimer: Not mine, never claimed it was. Okay, that's a lie. I totally said I owned everything here a few chapters ago. But it was a joke, so it's fine, no worries.**

Mondays were quickly becoming Eric's favorite day of the week. If it was Monday, that meant the bar would be closed and he was free to keep Sookie to himself all day, and night, long. After their successful nap the night before, Eric was feeling incredibly comfortable with Sookie in his bed. In fact, he spent all night planning the perfect, most romantic evening for them culminating in mind blowing sex. He was certain he was ready to move forward, and would do everything in his power to make it the best night of Sookie's life.

She insisted she had errands to run during the day, so they didn't have their typical afternoon together. That was fine with Eric; it gave him time to prepare. After getting a glimpse of Sookie's apartment and bedroom, he realized the level of cleanliness he deemed acceptable was far from her definition of neat and tidy. He spent a good portion of the afternoon cleaning the apartment from top to bottom, sweeping up far too much dog hair for his liking.

He was out the door on his way to complete his own list of chores to have everything ready for tonight. He dropped Clancy off at the groomers for a bath and a trim, which left him an hour to get everything else. He ran through the grocery store at record speed getting all the ingredients for the dinner he wanted to cook for Sookie. The next destination was the home goods store for more candles. He loved to watch the glow on Sookie's skin and thought it would create the perfect romantic setting in the bedroom for tonight.

Last stop was the drug store. He considered himself a thoughtful boyfriend, and wanted Sookie to think him responsible. How hard could it be to pick out condoms? The slightly less than obvious answer was very hard. There were more brands and varieties than he could ever imagine. In the last few years of their relationship, he and Felicia had been trying for a family. This aisle had not been visited for a long while. He picked up a box of the least threatening type and was off to fetch a now-beautified Clancy.

Checking the clock as he made his way through his front door, he noticed he had a little more than an hour before Sookie would be arriving. This left plenty of time to shower, shave, and get dressed before he had to start prepping for dinner. Nice slacks and a button down were the wardrobe choices for tonight. He buttoned the shirt to his neck first, but thought it looked too stuffy. Opening the first two buttons gave him a more casual look. Rolling the sleeves up made sure he wouldn't get shirt in their dinner.

In his entire life, he had never spent more time on his appearance than he had in the past few weeks. Getting a new girlfriend called for many major life changes and this was one he could handle. Just to be sure he looked put together, he sent Pam a quick picture message to ask her approval. Once he received her reply, he immediately regretted his decision.

**Well aren't you pretty? Hope you get some tonight, lover boy.**

Pretty would have to suffice for tonight. A look over his shoulder marked the glaring mistake in his cleaning; the bed was still unmade. If he wanted Sookie to spend the night, be it with innocent or dirty intentions, he should put clean linens on the bed. He had not factored this into his time line.

_Looks like instead of having dinner prepared, it's going to be a demonstration instead._

Just as he was smoothing the wrinkles in the comforter out, he glanced up at the night stand and his heart sank as deep as it could. Sitting in an obvious place was a framed photograph of his wedding day. What would Sookie think if she saw this out? More importantly, where could he put it that would be more appropriate, yet not diminish its meaning? He paced the room with it in his hands for a while trying to think of a good place. He spotted the bureau that housed Felicia's jewelry box. He placed it next to the small box angled away from the bed, satisfied with his decision.

By some act of God, he still had a few minutes before Sookie would arrive. He took a few calming breaths, and began arranging the ingredients he would need for dinner. Soon enough, he heard the tiny knock at the door and Clancy darting across the apartment that signified Sookie's appearance. He opened the door, and her eyes grew wide.

"Wow, Eric, you look... wow."

"Really? Pam told me I looked pretty. I didn't think that was a good thing."

"It's a very good thing. You look like my own personal Nordic sex god. I hope you're not fond of that shirt, I have the feeling it's losing a few buttons tonight when I rip it off."

With a laugh, he pulled her into the apartment and into a tight hug. She buried her face into his chest and took a deep breath.

"You even smell spectacular. At least you don't act like someone too into their looks. I swear Quinn would spend more time in front of the mirror than I would."

"I just wanted to look my best for my best girl. I'm glad it makes you happy. Now take a seat at the bar, I'm going to make you dinner."

"You cook? Really? There has to be some major design flaw. It's illegal to be this sexy, considerate, amazing, and have the ability to cook."

"I never said I was a very good cook, just that I can cook. How does chicken Marsala sound? I even picked up some fresh mozzarella and tomatoes for a little antipasto."

"Mm, I love Italian food. I could eat it every day and not get sick of it. How about I start slicing and dicing our appetizer while you get started on the main course?"

He relented that portion of the preparation to her before starting dinner. He poured each of them a glass of wine and got started. They spoke casually while he made their meal. After slicing the cheese and vegetables and dressing it with some vinaigrette, she took a sample for herself. She moaned at her own handiwork and quickly took another bite. Walking around the bar to where Eric stood in front of the range, she picked up a piece of the simple salad on a fork and held it out for him. This pattern of eating, talking and her feeding him continued until their meal was ready.

He walked her over to the table, and pulled the chair out for her. Pushing her in gently, he took their plates back to the kitchen to load them up with food. With a few more trips, he had set the table with another bottle of wine and a loaf of bread in addition to their dinner.

One aspect of Sookie that he was falling for was her love of food. He hated when women couldn't find pleasure in eating. Sookie most certainly did, she relished every bite of every meal. She seemed to be deeply enjoying the meal he prepared for her. She hadn't said a word as she was too consumed with her dinner. As he finished his own meal, he sat back and watched her finish the remnants of her own. Her eyes closed with each bite and a look of pure bliss crossed her face as she chewed.

"I never thought watching someone eat could be a turn on, but apparently I was wrong."

A deep blush crossed her cheeks and a shy smile crossed her lips. "I'm a Southern girl; I was raised to love eating. The word diet just ain't in my vocabulary."

"How about we finish off the rest of the wine on the couch? We could watch a little television if you like."

"Sounds perfect, lead the way."

They curled up next to each other and he topped off each of their glasses. As she searched the channels, he began to rub her shoulders. Her head fell forward, the remote control falling to the floor. Anything else was quickly forgotten and all she could focus on was the motion of his hands as their worked their way across her back.

Her long day of running errands, doing laundry and cleaning had left her even more tired than she realized. She felt that she was beginning to slip into sleep and decided to start a conversation to wake her up. Eric had been giving her signs all night that he was interested in something more, and she decided to test just how comfortable he was with the idea of sex.

"What's your fantasy?

"What do you mean?"

"Your sexual fantasies. What is your deepest, darkest sexual fantasy."

"Sookie, we haven't even had sex yet, and you want to know my fantasies?"

"Yeah, everybody has them. Besides, talking about sex makes it easier to open up in the bedroom. I'm not saying that I'm going to do it right away, I just want to know what it is."

"It's nothing special. Probably not even worth mentioning."

"Don't be silly. Here, I'll tell you mine and then you can tell me yours. Just don't stop the massage, it feels real good." She paused to refill her wine glass, taking a deep drink before telling her story.

"I've always wanted a guy to blindfold me. Amelia told me that when you take away one of your senses, it heightens all the others. That means the slightest touch can just set you on fire. I want a guy to blindfold me and run his hands all over my body. Touch me and then follow the trails with his kisses. I can't imagine how turned on I'd be after you'd touched every inch of my skin."

She waited for him to take his turn sharing, but he never started. "Eric, it's your turn."

"I'm a little lost in your fantasy. I need to figure out this whole speaking thing again. I never thought about it much before we met. My current fantasy involves you, specifically you taking the role of Susannah."

"You want me to go on a killing spree?" She laughed a little too hard at her own joke. She eyed her wine glass and tried to figure out how many times it had been refilled.

"No, I want to watch you sing on stage. Something slow and sensual, I want it to be a real performance, not just you singing along at the gym. It's not particularly sexual, but hearing you sing just gets me turned on, especially if I know you're singing just for me in a room full of people."

"I guess I could have guessed that. You did write a whole singing character just for me. Of course you'd want to reap the benefits of your creation. You've got me all types of relaxed, how about we move this into the bedroom?"

She stood, a little unstable on her feet, the wine hitting her hard. She tried to lead him sensually into the bedroom but stumbled a bit before she could even reach the bed.

"Sookie, why don't you light some candles for us? I just want to freshen up in the bathroom for a minute."

"Course, lovah."

He closed the door behind him and looked himself dead in the eye. He needed a bit of a pep talk before rejoining Sookie in the bedroom.

_You can't do this, Northman. She is too drunk to even walk to the bedroom, let alone make love. Probably shouldn't have asked her to start a fire. I shouldn't have given her that much wine. I think I just ruined my own evening._

He exited the bathroom, and was fully prepared to explain that they should wait since she was a little tipsy. She had beat him to the punch on canceling their plans, however. There she was, splayed out across his bed, still fully dressed, not to mention unconscious. He picked her up and gently positioned her under the covers. He considered taking her clothes off, but didn't want her to be uncomfortable upon waking. He changed into his pajamas and slid in next to her. He curled up behind her, wrapping an arm around her waist. He placed a small kiss to her neck and whispered in her ear, "You have this problem with falling asleep on me, dear one. No worries, we'll enjoy each other another night. Sweet dreams."

* * *

If there was one thing in this world that could wake Sookie Stackhouse up from a deep sleep without fail, it was the scent of brewing coffee. That was just the smell that was currently wafting towards her nostrils, pulling her from her slumber. It was tainted with something odd; the heavenly coffee was mixed with something strangely beefy.

She cracked her eyes open and was met face to face with a wet nose complete with a panting open mouth. Clancy moved closer, giving her a good lick from her chin to her forehead. Immediately, she regretted opening her eyes and went to shove the dog off the bed. Sadly, it was she who had taken his spot in bed, not the other way around and he was prepared to put up a fight. He barked at the stranger in his bed, the sound echoing through Sookie's slightly throbbing head.

Eric came through the room when he heard the commotion and ordered the dog out. Sookie took a glance at him clad in nothing but a pair of lounge pants with a mug of coffee in his hands. He never looked better.

"Sorry about that, he's grown attached to sleeping on that side of the bed. Would you like some coffee?"

"Bathroom first, coffee second," a half awake Sookie proved that she was not able to form complete sentences.

With a laugh he answered, "Through that door there. I'll wait for you here in bed with your coffee."

She entered the en suite bathroom, and proceeded to handle the necessities. She ran her hands over her hair in an attempt to smooth the knots out, took a swig of his mouthwash, and brushed her teeth with her finger. She splashed some cold water on her face in an attempt to wake up a little more and get the dog slobber off.

She stared at her reflecting in the mirror and tried to piece the night together. They ate an amazing dinner; he was rubbing her shoulders, she told him her secret fantasy, and then went to the bedroom to have sex, all the while consuming an entire bottle of wine by herself. She was still wearing her outfit from the day before, so it appeared that nothing else happened.

_That explains the headache. But did we have sex? I can't seem to remember anything after laying down in bed. Time to woman up for an awkward conversation._

She exited the bathroom and true to his word he was back in bed, alternating between sipping on his own cup of coffee and jotting down notes on a pad of paper. He looked up when he heard her approaching and greeted her with a smile.

"Good morning. Let's try this again, coffee?" He held up the mug and she noticed sitting next to it a few pills she assumed to be aspirin. There was also a t-shirt and sweatpants sitting on the bed. "Those are the smallest clothes I own, shrunk them in the dryer by accident. You'll probably still be swimming in them, but at least they're clean and comfortable."

She took the mug, swallowing the pills down with a big gulp of hot coffee. It tasted amazing, way better than anything she had ever brewed. She quickly took off her clothes from last night, pausing for a moment before throwing on Eric's clothes when she noticed him checking her out. She took her place back in bed, taking another mouthful of coffee before setting it down on the night stand and curling into his side, resting her head on his chest.

"So, um, what happened last night after we made our way in here? I'm drawing a bit of a blank."

"I went to the bathroom and by the time I came out, you were out, sprawled across the entire bed. I tucked you in and we went to sleep. That's all, no funny business."

"Wow, I'm sorry I ruined your plans."

"It's no problem at all. But perhaps our next evening shouldn't involve alcohol. You can't seem to handle it."

"I'm a bit of a light weight. I also skipped lunch yesterday, so it hit me harder than usual. Considering everything, I'm still having a pretty awesome morning. Good coffee and a great cuddling partner. When did you wake up? You weren't here when I did."

"Maybe thirty minutes before you. I took Clancy for a quick walk and came back to start some coffee. I hope you didn't mind waking up without me."

"I wasn't thrilled with the wake up call from Clancy's tongue but I'm pretty happy right now curled up with you. I don't think we should leave this bed all day. It's obvious you can write and cuddle at the same time." She took a glance at his notepad and as usual, couldn't read a word of it.

"Why are your notes always so sloppy? It doesn't even look like English."

"That would be because it's written in short hand and in Swedish. It's my first language and how most of my ideas come to me. It's just an easier way to collect my thoughts. When I write the next draft on the computer, I translate it and fill in all the details."

"Well that makes a lot of sense. So, how do you feel about my lazy day suggestion? I've got absolutely no desire to leave this bed until I have to go to work."

"Then a lazy day it is. As long as you don't mind my writing."

"Course not. I'll just stay here, might close my eyes for a little bit more. Still have a little bit of a headache."

"Go back to sleep. Neither of us have anywhere to be. I just hope my work out partner forgives me for not showing up at the gym."

She flashed him a smile, "I think she'll forgive you. That is, as long as you keep your job as her new favorite pillow."

* * *

She was pulled back to consciousness with the growl of her stomach, or was it his stomach? She came to the conclusion it was his after she heard him tell it to shush. She could only laugh as he spoke so seriously to his own gut.

"Are you laughing at me, little one? Your stomach has been growling way louder than that for the past ten minutes. You set me off, but of course it's my noises that wake you. Did you enjoy the rest of your nap?"

"Mhm, have I told you that you make an awesome pillow?"

"Well, it only fits that you make a fine blanket. We're quite a pair."

When she sat up she noticed that the pad of paper was set aside. She saw next to it an alarm clock, announcing the time as 2:15 in the afternoon.

"It's no wonder we're starving, neither of us had anything to eat since last night. How about digging us up some lunch?"

They slowly untangled and made their way back into the kitchen. After rummaging through the refrigerator and a little preparation, they sat down with their sandwiches for a bite to eat. After they were thoroughly satisfied, Sookie jumped up with a start.

"Oh! I was supposed to ask you something last night and totally blanked. Jessica invited us to a piano bar in the theater district for our Thursday night out. She says a bunch of performers hang out there, singing along side all the tourists and other guests. It sounds like a lot of fun."

"Would you sing for me?"

"Only if you promise to keep your hands to yourself until we get home."

"That is not a promise I'm ready to make. I can't make any guarantees of my behavior if you're going to tease me with a song."

She hit him playfully before curling back into his arms. "I suppose I could sing a little. I love singing at karaoke night at the bar, this won't be much different. Especially if you'd like it so much."

"Then I'm in. As long as we can come back here afterward and I can make good on a few outstanding promises I've made."

"Oh, what promises would those be?" she asked playfully.

He ran a hand through her hair, catching her gaze before answering. "The promise I intended on fulfilling last night, to make love to you until the sun comes up."

She nuzzled closer into his chest, his words sending shivers through her entire body. "That can most definitely be arranged. As much as I hate to say this, I've got to head out. I need to go back to my place before I head to work for clean clothes. Don't think Sam would appreciate if I showed up in sweats."

He pulled her face close to his and gently pressed his lips to hers. They stayed that way for a moment, enjoying the innocence before deepening the kiss. She nipped and sucked on his lips until they parted for her. She slid her tongue along his as he slid his free hand down her side resting on her hip, pulling her groin closer to his. She could feel his arousal pressing against her aching core and ground down against him. He broke the kiss, his lips trailing their way along her neck to her ear to whisper, "I'm a very patient man, lover. I promise Thursday night will be worth the wait."

She pressed her forehead against his in an attempt to catch her breath. "You're going to make me work all night this turned on aren't you?"

"You made me wait last night. Consider it a lesson in patience."

With that, she stood from her position in his lap, pressing a chaste kiss against his lips before she was out the door. His mind lingered on their teasing interaction before moving onto more productive things. As much as he wanted to fantasize for the rest of the evening, he did have deadlines steadily approaching. He got back to work, nearly ready to fill in the blanks where steamy love scenes should go. Flipping through his notes, he prepared to spend the rest of the night deep in the Danger-verse as opposed to the preferred deep inside Sookie.

_Soon enough. Thursday can't come fast enough._

**A/N2: God, I really have to stop teasing you, dear readers. I promise, no, I guaran-damn-tee that next chapter will bear witness to a fuckawesome date to a piano bar and some super hot Eric/Sookie lovin'. Sound like a plan?**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: You know what's going to happen. You're not going to read this. I'll meet you at the bottom with a cigarette.**

Eric paced the floor of his study, agitated, as Pam read over his writings on the computer. Typical Pam, she was making snide comments every now and then, rarely anything constructive. She wasn't reading it to correct grammar; just to be sure she liked the direction he was taking. Sookie and Amelia were waiting in the other room, as the four had just returned from a double date. Normally, Pam read at superhuman speed, but tonight she seemed to be taking forever. Perhaps it was just Eric's desire to be closer to Sookie that made the seconds drag on.

"Can you move a little faster, we're being rude to the ladies."

"I'm your editor, I'm editing."

"No you're not; you're cracking jokes at my expense. Do you like where I'm heading or not?"

"Eric, it's taking me so long because I'm enjoying what I'm reading. This is really good, congrats. But what's with the brackets, 'Sex Scene Here'? You're the master at this, why are you skipping over the juicy parts?"

"They're just not coming to me."

"So write what you know. Give it to Sookie good and hard and then write about it. You do have a notepad in your night stand for notes; whip it out after you're done whipping it out."

"Well, we haven't exactly gone that far yet."

"Hello, last night you were looking down right fuckable. She passed up on that?"

"She passed out on that. Too much wine with too little food. We have only been seeing each other for a few weeks, it's perfectly normal to not have sex yet."

"Bullshit. I had Amelia in bed in less than twenty-four hours. You haven't gotten any in three years and you're taking it slow? Are you out of your mind?"

"I've only now realized how much I want her. It's not an easy move to make. You wouldn't know the joys of monogamy. It's not easy to jump into bed with someone when you've lost so much."

"I am so sick of this conversation. Get laid, fuck her, make love, I don't care what you call it just seal the deal! You need it to finish the book."

"I'm not making a decision for my relationship just for the good of my book. We've tried Pam, but something keeps getting in the way. It's a sign that it's not the right timing. We'll take that step when it's right."

"Whatever. Just get me a couple more chapters by next week. We've got you on a short schedule so we can get this to press to time perfectly with the movie premiere sometime this summer."

"You got it. Can we go back out there now?"

They exited the study to find Sookie and Amelia fawning over Clancy. They were both sitting on the floor, one rubbing his head and the other his belly. He was ecstatic at the amount of attention; usually he only had Eric to play with. When they got up to join Pam and Eric on the couches, he looked over at them, depressed. He followed Amelia and lay down at her feet. She gave a really good belly rub and she continued with him at his new, closer location.

Pam shot Eric a warning glance before dropping a little bomb. "So Sookie, Eric tells me that you haven't fucked yet. Get on that please, he has a book to write."

"Pam! What Eric and I do in the bedroom is our business." It was Sookie's turn to give Eric a look that could start fires. It would appear that it wouldn't be happening tonight either. "Amelia, how about we head out, I need to head down to the bar."

"Oh alright. Night Eric. Pam, you coming home with me?"

"Of course, unlike my friend here, I'm not afraid of vaginas. Night, lover boy."

Eric pulled Sookie to stop before she could storm out the door with Pam and Amelia. "I'm sorry. She dropped it on me too. She just wants the book written at all costs, she doesn't care about hurting people's feelings. Don't be angry with me."

She sighed and stepped into his arms for a hug. "I'm not mad; I just don't like everybody knowing my business. Listen, I really do have to head to work so I'll see you tomorrow night at the piano bar. I'll text you the address as soon as Jess gets it to me." She gave him a kiss and was out the door. The only thing left to worry about was what to wear.

* * *

Their evening at the bar was going great. Everyone had a few drinks in them so even the worst singers didn't bother anyone. Sookie, as promised, was taking it slow, enjoying only a few beers spaced out over their entire stay. Jessica and Hoyt arrived after their show let out with a few other cast mates and friends from other productions. The actors had deals with the owners of the bar to make appearances a few nights a week. This kept the tourists coming in with the hopes of meeting someone they just saw on stage.

Jessica was the first from the group to take the stage. The emcee of the evening, a very large drag queen who had the entire room in stitches the whole evening, gave her a glowing introduction. "You just saw her as Roxie Hart in _Chicago_; please give a warm hand for Jessica Hamby singing her signature tune, 'Roxie'!"

Jess had a beautiful voice and belted out her song with the accompaniment of the piano. She was playing it up, toying with members of the crowd close to the stage, slipping back into character with ease. Eric found himself staring not at Jess, but at Hoyt. The young man's eyes were locked onto his girlfriend and the expression on his face was priceless. He was obviously head over heels in love with the redhead, it read across every feature. Eric wondered if he had the same look when he was with Sookie.

As the song ended, she was greeted with applause the entire walk back to their table. She took a seat and addressed the table, "So who's next?"

Several other guests took the stage singing everything from Broadway tunes to popular music. Some were decent, a few even fantastic, but most were downright awful. Eric's ears could barely stand most of it and whispered to Sookie, "When are you taking your turn? Have you picked out a song yet?"

She looked to him with a wicked grin, "Wouldn't you like to know? But if you're ready to go, I'll go put my name down."

"We'll have to leave right after? It's that good?"

"Oh, darlin', I'm making all your dreams come true. After this, you'll write an entire series just for me."

She walked towards the piano, telling the emcee her song choice. The wait list must not have been long since she was instructed to stay there. After a few drunks made fools of themselves, it was Sookie's turn.

"Ladies and gents, we've got a sweet little thing ready to take the stage and slow it down a little bit. From our humble little island by way of the Louisiana bayou, Miss Sookie Stackhouse."

The pianist started the slow, deep opening notes of Sookie's song choice. Eric's eyes grew wide as he recognized the song immediately. He was locked on her and the way her hips were rocking, keeping time with the rhythm.

_Never know how much I love you, never know how much I care  
When you put your arms around me, I get a fever that's so hard to bear_

She kept her gaze on his the entire length of the song; the sultry tone of her voice paying proper respect to the classic. He was lost in the sound of her voice and the subtle movements of her body. She wasn't trying to be overtly sexual, just the right amount of sensuality. She had completely transformed and embodied the Susannah he saw in his head. He wondered what her friends would say if he took Sookie right there on the table.

_Now you've listened to my story, here's the point I have made  
Chicks were born to give you fever, be it Fahrenheit or Centigrade_

She finished out the song and the bar erupted in applause and cat calls. Eric didn't feel a shred of jealousy; he knew the entire performance was just for him. She blushed at the crowd's praise, blowing a few kisses to play it up. By the time she made it back to the table, the waitress delivered an entire tray of drinks just for her sent by her new adoring fans. She passed them around the table, sharing the free liquor with her friends who would actually enjoy it.

As the next singer took the stage, she announced their intent to leave.

None of their friends wanted them to go, but they made up their own phony excuses of early meetings and overall tiredness. As soon as they hit the street, Eric grabbed her, pulling her in for a toe curling kiss. She molded her body to his and could feel how hard he was already. She knew they need to get back to his place now, or they would end up going at it on the street corner. She led them to the right subway stop to get them back to his apartment.

A few short stops later, Eric and Sookie ran from the subway station and through the lobby of his building at speeds that would make Olympians jealous. He would have been just as happy to run the necessary nine flights of stairs, but out of respect for Sookie's too high heels they were waiting for the elevator. He kept true to his word; he was unable to keep it hands off of her. They were making out in the elevator bay like teenagers, completely unaware of their surroundings. Luckily at this time of night, most of the other residents were already in their units and not bearing witness to the near soft-core porn that was playing out in their precious lobby.

The elevator opened and Eric led Sookie inside, slamming his hand against the panel of buttons in the vain attempt at hitting his own floor. He had her pressed against the far wall and opened the first few buttons of her shirt to gain access to her neck. He kissed every inch of available skin, sucking at the hollow of her throat and nipping the length of her jaw before recapturing her lips. The sound of the doors opening caught his attention and the bronze "10" on the frame let him know they arrived.

As he fumbled with the keys to his front door, she pulled his shirt from where it had been tucked into his pants and slid her hands up the span of his chest, raking her nails down his sensitive ribs.

He moaned, "If you keep that up, I'm never getting the key in the lock."

"But you'll get your key in my lock."

"That's happening either way. I would prefer that to happen in the bedroom, and I have the feeling my neighbors would, as well."

As soon as she removed her hands from his shirt, he had the door opened and was pulling her inside. They resumed their kissing, moving their way towards the bedroom. Sookie was finally able to rid him of his shirt to get her hands on his chest and the broad expanse of his back. As her knees hit the base of his bed, she fell to a sitting position and found herself eye level with Eric's belt buckle. She licked her lips hungrily, remembering their earlier moments of sexual glory. She made quick work of the belt, ripping it through the loops with a snap. Next were the buttons of his pants, which pooled around his ankles, his decision to go commando blatantly obvious. Another thing was just as obvious; his desire for Sookie.

Giving in to her hunger, she took him into her mouth. His hands wound their way in her hair, gently guiding her motions. The sensations of her warm mouth around his hard length drew a moan from his lips, along with a string of profanities. His hips began moving on their own, subconsciously seeking to drive himself deeper into her mouth. Her talented mouth was making quick work of his resolve and he found himself easily on the brink of orgasm after being aroused for most of the night.

She could sense his impending release and looked up at him, knowing his love of eye contact. As their eye met, she moaned, sending vibrations throughout his entire body but centered in the length of his cock. Giving her fair warning, he came and she took all he had to give. He regained his senses and fell to his knees, kissing her fully on the mouth. Her lips still had traces of his own taste, but he paid it no mind in his desire to kiss her.

He urged her backwards to lay her head against the pillows. "You are far too overdressed for this private party, lover. We need to fix that."

He lay down on top of her, careful to balance his own weight as to not hurt her. The feel of the silk of her shirt against his bare skin felt amazing, but he knew that her skin against his would feel like heaven. He slowly undid one button at a time, kissing the newly exposed skin as he worked his way down. Her hands were on his shoulders, pushing him to go faster, but he was determined to take his time.

He returned to her mouth for a heated kiss before quietly asking, "Please, let me do this. Let me worship you as you deserve."

"But you got off, I need mine."

"You will get yours, I swear. All in due time. Remember what I told you on the couch the other night, patience is a virtue."

"Says the man who came not five minutes ago."

He looked deep into her eyes, then placed his lips so close to her ear she could feel the breath ghost over the shell, "Trust me."

Her body relaxed into the bed as she caved to his desires. She knew that if this was going to happen, it would have to happen his way, at his pace. It was, after all, the first time he had been with a woman in many years. She could indulge him, just this once.

He resumed his path, opening her shirt completely, kissing concentric rings around her navel, expanding outward to her ribs. He moved back up to her chest, where she was still encased in her bra. He removed the offending garment, releasing her full breasts. He studied them for just a moment, lowering his lips to the center of her breastbone, kissing his way outward to her nipple. As he lavished attention to her left with his tongue, his fingers worked the right with equal fervor. She was crying out for him, her hands alternating between pulling at his hair and scratching his back. Not breaking his stride, he kissed his way back across her chest, switching his mouth and fingers' destinations.

His free hand worked its way up her skirt pushing her panties aside to slide a finger between her folds. "So wet for me Sookie. Tell me what you want and you'll get it."

"I need to feel your lips on mine."

He rose to meet her mouth for a kiss but before they could touch, she whispered, "Not these lips."

Eric smiled at her boldness, kissing her anyway before moving back down her body. He lowered the zipper of her skirt, pulling it down her legs along with her underwear. Even though it was not the first time he had seen her nude, he was just as enraptured this time around. He drank in her full form before settling between her legs, kissing his way up her thighs to her glistening core. He gave one long lick before using his tongue on her nub. His tiny ministrations pulled a drawn out "fuck" from her lips as her hands grabbed fistfuls of his hair, keeping his head in place. He soon slid two fingers deep inside her, beginning to prepare her for what was to come.

His teasing kisses that had started far up her body had her all worked up by the time his mouth and fingers began their work on her pussy. In no time, he could feel her muscles begin to clamp down on his fingers as they effortlessly slid in and out of her. As he inserted them once again, he angled up, seeking out her g-spot. He passed over it, focusing all his fingers' attention on that one sacred place, working it in time with his tongue on her clit. She came with a scream, muscles clenching his fingers to the point he thought they would break. He maintained his movements and brought her to orgasm again and again; loving the sound of his name pouring from her lips.

He only stopped his actions when he felt his erection once again hard between his legs. He worked his way back up her body, barely tracing with his fingertips, loving the shudders it drew from her. When he reached her face, he looked down at the mask of pleasure on her features; eyes pressed shut, lips open and panting, every inch completely relaxed. He kissed her again and her tongue darted out to lick her essence from his lips.

She reached up to run the back of her fingers across his cheek. She locked eyes with him and only when she was sure she had his full attention she said, "Eric, make love to me."

He was never one to disappoint. He reached over to his night stand, pulling the box of condoms from its drawer. He opened one foil package, rolling its contents down his length before returning to her embrace. He positioned himself at her opening and slowly entered her. Immediately, the sensation of her warm body completely surrounded him and he closed his eyes at the tremendous pleasure that was filling every inch of his body. When he was fully sheathed inside her, she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him as close to her body as humanly possible. He buried his face in her neck, kissing every available place. All the while, he stayed perfectly still, not only giving her time to adjust to his size, but time for his nerves to relax.

They stayed locked in their embrace, the only movement their exploring hands and lips. He felt her begin to roll her hips against him and took this as his cue. He withdrew all the way before filling her again; loving the gasp he was able to pull from her. He began with a slow pace, making love to her sweetly. He was taking his time, savoring every sensation, every emotion that was rolling through him. He finally had her in his arms and looked deep into her eyes, wanting to remember this moment forever.

Every noise, moan, and gasp she made echoed through him as if they were sharing this experience on every possible level. Her pleasure was his, and he was sure the feeling was mutual. She moaned his name, and he became addicted to the way her voice sounded in the heat of passion.

"Eric, please more, need more, harder."

He was more than happy to cave to her wishes, and as he picked up the pace, she wrapped her legs around his waist. The new angle created glorious friction against her nub and drove his cock against her spot deep inside her. With every thrust, she screamed out and clenched around him, digging her nails into his back trying to meld their bodies closer together. She could feel the fire brewing deep inside her and start to spread out.

"Please, Eric, I'm so close. Please, please..." It became her mantra and she was chanting it as the earliest tingles of her orgasm started.

He kissed her hard and his kisses against her neck turned to nips and bites. "Come for me, Sookie, I need you."

He bit hard at the juncture of her neck and shoulder, the desire to mark her clouding every rational thought in his mind. The pain heightened her pleasure, triggering her release which in turn sent him over the edge. She came hard, milking every drop out of him.

He collapsed on top of her, rolling them both to lie on their sides without pulling out of her. They held each other, panting, waiting for the haze to clear from their minds. He kissed her before finally unwinding their bodies and climbing off the bed to clean up. He came back from the bathroom with a warm washcloth for her to do the same. She gave him a goofy smile, "Come back to bed. I need some snuggles."

"Anything for you," he said as he climbed in bed and wrapped the blankets around them both, curling up behind her.

"I hate it when you're right."

"What do you mean lover?"

"The whole 'patience' thing. That was most definitely worth the wait. You are amazing."

"Tonight was perfect. Spend the night?"

"Oh buster, nothing is dragging me out of this bed. Besides, I was told there would be all night ravaging."

"Oh there will be. Just need a power nap, you know, to recharge the batteries."

"Sounds perfect. I think you know the right way to wake me up."

"I have something in mind."

He kept his word. Neither Eric nor Sookie got much sleep that night but they couldn't care less. They enjoyed each other's bodies several more times until the sun started to peak through the skyscrapers, spilling across the bed. He was on his back, Sookie curled up at his side, resting her head against him. Her fingers swirled through the light coating of blond hair as she traced along his chest.

She yawned and giggled. "I haven't stayed up all night in a long time. But what a way to spend an evening."

Yawning must be contagious as Eric had his own with a stretch. "Agreed. How about we try and get some sleep for real now. Good night Sookie." A placed a small kiss on top of her head, inhaling the sweet smell of her hair.

She angled her head up for a proper good night kiss before closing her eyes and letting sleep claim her. In her descent to sleep, she could have sworn she heard him say those three little words every girl dreams of hearing after a night of passion but the pull of her dreams was too great to react.

**A/N2: Yeah. That's 3.5 pages (in Word) of pure smutty goodness. Hopefully it delivered because it was a blast to write. You can thank my boyfriend for that, he works retail and during this lovely holiday season I haven't seen much of him. Guess I'm just the tiniest bit frustrated. At least Sookie and Eric could enjoy it.**

**Speaking of holidays, a very happy 2nd night of Hanukah to all my fellow Jews out there. Our holiday will be way over before Christmas is close, yet all I saw on TV tonight was Christmas movies. Adam Sandler needs to get back to work and give us something more to look forward to.**

**Did everyone catch the release of the cover for the 10th Sookie Stackhouse book? Our girl's on it with a certain blond vampire. Yeah, it's good. Heard the first chapter is coming out early this week. Can't wait!!**

**Thanks to my beta, chisaii-kitty, for catching my mistakes, especially as they relate to the number of flights of stairs in a building. Yeah, graduated in May with a degree in mathematics and I can't count stairs. Whoops.**

**Disclaimer: Charlaine owns most of the characters, Alan Ball and HBO own the rest, and "Fever" and "Roxie" belong to their respective parties.**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thanks for liking the sexy times from last chapter. This chapter is free of lemons, but we'll be moving back in that direction shortly. This is a little deeper on the emotional spectrum. My beta even said it brought a tear to her eye, and she's not a crier. **

**Speaking of chisaii-kitty, she's a pretty awesome beta. Any remaining mistakes are my own.**

**Disclaimer: None of it's mine, wish it was though.**

Eric sat at the counter of the bar in his kitchen, brooding over a cup of coffee. He had been staring at the mug for the past hour but hadn't taken a sip. He was reflecting on last night's events while his stomach was in knots, flip-flopping faster than a politician caught in a lie. Everything had gone so well, but he could pinpoint the moment it all went to shit.

They had watched the sunrise and cuddled close ready to get some much needed sleep. They just shared a good night kiss and as his head hit the pillow he let it slip. _I love you_. It's such a simple sentence; three words, eight letters, barely a full breath necessary to say it. The issue lies not in the denotation, but in the connotation. It held such power and meaning far beyond its simple structure.

Did he mean it? He was an author, a man of words, skilled in their artful selection. In a moment of pure bliss after a night of pleasure it spilled from his lips without any consideration. If he said it, it must have come from somewhere. It must hold some meaning in his heart and mind.

Was he ready to be in love again? Dating casually is one thing, but to truly love someone is a horse of a much different color. He knew in his heart that what he felt for Sookie was far from casual, but was it love? If he loved Sookie, what did that say to his feelings for Felicia? Did they just stop because he had met someone new? Was it fair to love Sookie while at the same time holding on to the love he felt for Felicia?

Could he ever give his heart to another? Could they actually be in love after just two short weeks? He had heard of love at first sight, practically experienced it first hand when he saw Felicia at his parent's bar. But he didn't say the words for months, allowing his actions to speak louder than words.

In his entire life, he had told two women he loved them in a romantic way. The first was in elementary school to Emma Samuelsson. Her response was to throw dirt at his face and stomp on his foot. The other was Felicia their first night in their brand new New York apartment when he first moved from Stockholm. In typical Felicia fashion, she punched him in the arm and shouted, "It's about damn time!" before saying it back. Needless to say, the bed had been properly christened.

When he said it to Sookie, barely a whisper, she had no response but to fall asleep clutching his chest. Did this mean she didn't love him back or that he had tired her out to the point of sheer exhaustion? Wouldn't she have said it back if she felt the same way? Had she even heard him? It did appear that she fell asleep as soon as her eyes closed; perhaps the words never reached her ears.

He had a thousand more questions swirling through his mind and sadly, his coffee cup had no answers. He tried to stay in bed to keep holding her, but the anxiety he felt kept him from staying still for too long. He needed someone to talk to, someone who always steered him in the right direction. He looked to the bedroom where Sookie still slept, completely oblivious to his turmoil. It dawned on him where he should go, but clothing would be necessary to leave the apartment.

He found his forgotten clothes from last night scattered across his living room. They were clean enough to go out for a little while. He wrote Sookie a quick note so she would know where he was when she woke. He quietly left the apartment, his mind still questioning but he knew a solution would come to him quickly.

He rounded the corner of his block with purpose, hopeful that the person he was looking for would be easy to find. He entered Stackhouse Gym, crestfallen to see that Crystal, not Amelia, was behind the counter.

"Hey Eric, you're here awfully early. Wasn't last night a blast? Looks like your party didn't stop considering that's what you were wearing then. Oh man, after you left, Jason and Hoyt did a duet of 'SexyBack'. It was terrible, but hysterical"

Crystal kept rambling on about the night before, but Eric had no patience for her. This was in part due to the fact he hadn't slept but mostly because he was on a mission. "Crystal, that's all great, but where is Amelia? Is she due in today?"

"Um, she should be here soon. She has her early class today and that starts in a half hour. You can go wait for her in studio three."

He ran upstairs to wait for Amelia to show up. She had been his pseudo-psychiatrist before and he was hoping that she would help him sort through all the conflicting thoughts he was having. Within five minutes, he saw Amelia coming through the doorway. She ran over to him with a concerned look on her face.

"Crystal said you looked out of it. Are you okay? What's going on, is everything alright? Oh my God, is Sookie okay?"

"Sookie's fine, she's still asleep at my apartment. I'm just having a crisis and needed someone to talk it out with."

"Uh, that sounds like a girlfriend job. Shouldn't you talk to her about your problems?"

"But she is the problem. Well, no, that's a lie. I think I'm the problem. Before she fell asleep this morning, I said that I loved her. She didn't say anything back, but I think she was out before I said it. As soon as I said it, I just lost it and I've been freaking out ever since. I don't know if I meant it, if I feel it, if I'm ready for this."

"I'm going to stop you right there, I don't want you having another panic attack on me. I'd love to give you the answer, but I can't tell you if you're in love. I think you just need time to sort all your thoughts out. Just take some time to sit and reflect on everything."

"I've been doing that all morning. God knows I haven't been sleeping."

"No, you've been panicking all morning. You need to think in a structured, focused way. I'm about to lead a guided meditation, why don't you stay for class? It will help clear your mind so you can work through this mess with a fresh start."

"I've never done anything like it before. Is meditation hard to get into?"

"Nope, you'll do just fine. But I have the feeling that I'm missing something here. Step one, piano bar. Step two, blank. Step three, mental breakdown."

"We had sex in every position I could imagine, and some I couldn't. We had sex in every room in my house. It was the best I've ever had."

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"Do you love her?"

"I don't know. I think I could, but that's not good enough if you're going to say it. If it came out, then it must be in here somewhere."

"Come on in to the studio. I'll get you set up before everyone else starts to show up. You will be a bit overdressed. Most people meditate in sweatpants or loose fitting clothes. I think you're the first to do it in an Armani suit."

"Thanks Amelia. You've been spending too much time with Pam; the snark is off the charts. Just the type of comfort a guy in my situation needs."

"Oh hush. Jason was right behind me when I came in. I'll go down to his office and get you a pair of shorts so you'll be more comfortable."

She came back within minutes and he left the room to go change. Thankfully Jason wore long basketball shorts, so they covered him well enough. By the time Eric came back into the classroom, other students had started to fill in for their moment of zen before work. He took the mat that Amelia had laid out for him and sat on the floor. Amelia was working her way around the room, lighting candles and incense and the soft scent of sandalwood and cedar filled the air. She started the speakers along with her iPod and soon soft classical music began to play. The piano concerto was already helping calm Eric's nerves. He was brought back to focus on the room when Amelia had sounded a small gong. In the time Eric had spaced out, the entire class had gathered and begun.

"Good morning, class. My name is Amelia Broadway and, as usual, I will be leading you on a meditative journey to relaxation before you head to work. We'll begin with a few breathing exercises before I start the selected reading for the day."

She described the proper breathing techniques. With each inhale and exhale, Eric could feel his mind beginning to clear. By the time Amelia instructed them to find their most comfortable position, laying down or sitting up; he was free from all the thoughts that had muddled his mind.

"In honor of the impending snowfall, I've decided an appropriate reading. As our minds clear, a snowed in lodge comes into focus. The lodge is nestled in a mountain range perfect for skiing. This range is anywhere, everywhere, yet no place in particular. Allow your mind to take you where it needs to go."

Eric flashed back to his childhood vacations to ski resorts in Sweden. They had been some of his favorite memories of wintertime. He could imagine the grand lodges in great detail. Amelia's voice was getting farther and farther away.

"You have entered the lodge after a long day on the slopes. Every muscle is deliciously sore with the exertion of the day's activities. You wander the long corridors coming across a secluded lobby far from other guests. You realize you are the only one in the room. At the heart of the room is a spectacular fireplace that takes up most of one of the walls. Circled around the hearth are chairs and couches. You take a seat in one and begin the process of relaxation."

Despite Amelia's words, Eric was not alone in the room. As he approached the fireplace, he noticed two heads appearing over the top of two chairs. One had a long blonde ponytail and the other a mess of black curls. The two women were obviously involved in a deep conversation that was just out of hearing range. They couldn't possibly be who he thought they were, could they?

* * *

Sookie woke with a stretch. She felt a certain tenderness, but was happy with every ache in her body. She rolled over expecting to see Eric in bed next to her, but all she saw was a note card on his pillow. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and tried to get them to focus. As she read the words, her panic started to set it.

_Sookie,_

_My mind is racing and I'm feeling confused about last night. I need to get my head on straight before we can talk about this. I've gone to the gym to clear my thoughts. Please don't be upset with me. This will all be alright. I'll be back soon._

_~Eric_

What happened last night? They made love numerous times; if he was feeling conflicted, wouldn't he have stopped after the first? Why would he keep going all night if he wasn't happy? Did she do something wrong? Maybe she couldn't pleasure him properly or live up to his standards as a partner.

Did she force him into it? If he wasn't ready to make that step, her performance on stage could have pushed him too far in the wrong direction. Maybe he only acted on his carnal desires without thinking it through all the way and now he regretted having sex with her. Did he only have sex with her because he knew she wanted to? Could he have been afraid to lose her if he didn't make a move?

She sat up in bed feeling a mixture of regret and hurt in her stomach. She felt as if she was the worst girlfriend in the history of relationships. The one thing he asked of her was to take things slowly, and here they having sex after only two weeks. Could she lose him over this? What if he shuts down again, withdrawing into himself permanently?

She felt the hot tears running down her face at the thought of losing Eric. They hadn't known each other long, but spent much of everyday together. She had grown so close to him in that time that she couldn't imagine going back to a life without him. Whenever she was with him, she always felt calm and happy. She had not felt this comfortable with a man ever. She could even imagine falling in love with him, if she wasn't already.

She dried her eyes and went on the hunt for her purse to locate her cell phone. She fought for him last time and she would do it again if need be. He meant too much to her to back down now. Hitting the speed dial, she was soon connected with the gym.

"Stackhouse Gym, this is Crystal speaking, how can I help you?"

"Crystal, it's Sookie. Strange question, but did you see Eric come in today?"

"Oh yeah, he came in a little while ago looking for Amelia. He seemed real messed up. What happened last night after you guys left?"

"Nothing you need to worry about. Did he find Amelia? Is he still there?"

"Well, he hasn't come down, but her meditation class started like ten minutes ago. Maybe he stayed for it? I'd call up to Amelia, but she hates it when the phone rings during meditation time. Says it ruins her sense of balance."

"It's fine, I'll be there in a minute. Thanks."

She hung up her phone and started to find her clothes. She didn't want to go to the gym in her blouse and skirt from last night, but unless she wanted to step outside in an outfit that was ten sizes too big it was her only option. No one would notice since she was just going around the corner. She made a mental note that if this all works out, she would need to start leaving clean clothes here for unexpected sleepovers.

She waved to Crystal as she entered the gym, choosing to ignore the expression on the other girl's face when she recognized last night's wardrobe. She ran up the stairs as fast as she could in her four inch heels. As soon as she entered the studio floor, she could hear Amelia's voice. She slipped off the shoes to keep quiet and approached the end of the floor where class was being held. She peeked in the open door of the room and sure enough, Eric was there, eyes closed in meditation.

Amelia looked over at Sookie with concern. She walked over, still reading from her notebook, to wrap her friend in a hug. She whispered quietly in Sookie's ear, "It's going to be okay. You know boys don't handle new emotions well. This is just what he needs."

Amelia walked away, resuming her reading as if nothing happened. She knew the student's wouldn't notice anyway as they were so far gone in their own thoughts. Sookie looked over at Eric, flat on his back laying on the floor. When she focused on his face, she could see a pained expression on his features and tears running down his cheeks. It took all her resolve not to run into the room to hold him, to comfort him. She took Amelia's word that this quiet moment was what he needed. Her friend's words swirled through her mind, what new emotions could Amelia be talking about?

Sookie tried to reflect on what happened last night. Maybe she was all wrong. Perhaps Eric was just nervous about how close they had grown and didn't know how to handle it. But why would he run to Amelia? Why wouldn't he talk to her about his feelings? Sookie was pulled from her thoughts as Amelia hit the gong again signaling the end of class. As the other students rose and filtered out, Eric stayed down. She watched as Amelia walked over to him to try to rouse him. She tried to find all her inner strength to prepare for whatever Eric had to tell her. She hoped he wasn't too hurt to try again.

* * *

As Eric approached the two apparently old friends, he caught a glimpse of their faces. It was Felicia and Sookie, chatting like women who knew each other for years. It was Felicia who caught his gaze first.

"Baby, I was wondering when you'd get here. You've made me and Sookie wait so long. You've spent so much time trying to keep us apart but here we are, best friends. She's a special girl."

He dropped to his knees before his lost wife, tears in his eyes. He had dreamed of Felicia over the years but never in such great detail. Perhaps it was because this wasn't a dream but a vision that his mind was playing. He grabbed her hands in his, and they felt so real he never wanted to let go.

"I've been trying to find you for so long."

"Baby, why are you still looking for me? You've known where I've been all along. I'm right here," she said pointing to his head. "I'll always be there and I'll always be here too," she added placing a hand over his heart. "But that doesn't mean you need to stop living and loving. The way you've been acting these years you might as well have died along with me."

"Part of me did."

"God and you give Pam shit for being over-dramatic. You didn't die, Eric. You just hit the pause button for a while. You've been doing pretty well with the play button now, but you're finger is so close to rewind it's scary. It's time to move forward, Eric, time to start living. I'm the past and Sookie's the future. I know you'll always love me, but it's time to start loving her."

"Do I love her?"

"You know you do, so don't try and bullshit me. You never were able to lie to me. Loving her doesn't erase what we had. But not living your life won't preserve it forever, either. She's a pretty awesome chick, I definitely approve."

"I don't want to let you go."

"So don't. Hold on to me forever, Eric, I'll never leave you. Loving Sookie doesn't mean you stopped loving me. You'll always love me, just like I'll always love you. I'm part of you and I always will be. I can't stand to see you in so much pain. There are forces at play bigger than you and me. I just asked for a nice girl to be sent your way. Fate brought her to you, don't throw it away."

"She'll never take your place."

"It's not about replacement. The love you feel for us is different and unique. Love her, cherish her. You need her in your life. It's time to move forward so get a move on. You've wasted too much time on pain and sorrow. It's time for some happiness."

She placed a gentle kiss on his lips before getting up and walking down the hallway Eric had come in from. He was left in the room with Sookie and the roaring fire. He could feel the tears rolling down his cheeks as his hands stroked the fabric of the chair Felicia had just occupied.

"I've never gone skiing, Eric. Will you teach me? Let's get out of here and hit the slopes! Come on, it's time to go."

"Eric? Eric, hun, it's time to go." Eric cracked his eyes open to Amelia's concerned face hovering above him. He blinked a few times, feeling something on his face. He wiped it away with the back of his hand, and when he looked down, his hand was wet. The tears weren't in the dream, but real.

"Wow, man, where did you go? Must have been a powerful journey. Did you get the answers you were looking for?"

"I think so. She's never left me. She's always been with me and she'll always be with me. Loving Sookie doesn't take away from what I once had with Felicia."

"Glad you finally realized that for yourself. Now why don't you dry your eyes and pull it together because someone's here waiting for you."

He sat up and looked to the door where Sookie was standing, looking very concerned for him. She was obviously worried; she always chewed her lip when she was worried. He wiped his eyes on his shirt before walking over to where she was waiting. He wrapped her in a tight hug, not ever wanting to let her go. She gently pushed her way out of his embrace after a few moments to look up at his face. She was the one with tears in her eyes now.

"I am so sorry about last night. I knew it was too soon for us to have sex and now you're freaked out. I'm sorry I made you take that step so fast."

He stopped her with a passionate kiss to her lips. He pulled her in tight once again, gently grasping her face in his hands, deepening the kiss to try and convey every emotion he was feeling.

"I shouldn't have left the apartment this morning. There were so many thoughts going through my head it felt like I couldn't breathe. It wasn't your fault, not at all. We made love last night because we both wanted to. Don't feel for one moment that you rushed us into things. Every moment was amazing, I don't regret anything."

"But what was wrong this morning?"

"I said something before you fell asleep that I wasn't sure if I meant. The weight of it just had me all mixed up. I needed a little independent guidance on sorting through everything."

"So you're okay now?"

"Yes. More than all right. I'm ready to starting living again, to start feeling again. Sookie, I love you."

She looked up at him eyes wide, unsure of how to reply. An expression of calm suddenly passed over all her features. Their gaze locked, and she was ready to answer.

**A/N2: Yeaaah, I'm just gunna leave that there. Seems like a nice spot to stop, right? Who's on board with chisaii-kitty to come on up to NY and beat me down over that?**

**A little cliff never hurt anywone. I originally wrote her reply, but the masochistic side of me deleted it with maniacal laughter. Don't get your panties in a bunch, I'll update soon with her answer. Promise.**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: I think I've said it before, but this is my favorite chapter! What a rollercoaster ride you're about to experience. Strap in and hang on tight!**

**Thanks to chisaii-kitty for her awesome beta skills and snarky comments. I have to avoid beverages while reading over her edits to prevent permanent damage to my netbook.**

**Disclaimer: SVM is owned by the lovely Ms. Charlaine Harris (who did not post the first chapter of Dead in the Family this week as promised *pout*). "You're My Thrill" by Billie Holiday is owned by someone making a lot of bank off of jazz music.**

The moment every girl dreams of had just occurred to Sookie, and all she could do is draw a blank with a smile across her face. The most amazing man she had ever met, a man she had idolized for years, just declared his love for her. A man who, just two short weeks ago, could barely drag himself out of bed let alone be in a relationship. He loved her. This was a major step for him, she knew that for fact, and how she reacted could change his life.

She looked deep into his eyes and his pure love was shining through. Before she saw this, she was unsure of her answer. The moment she saw his emotion played out across his face, she was filled with enough warmth to melt even the coldest heart. She wrapped her arms tight around him, pulling him into a hug. If she maintained eye contact for a moment longer, she would start crying tears of happiness.

"Oh, Eric. I've spent all morning thinking I broke your heart and here you are saying you're in love with me. I can't believe it. Say it again. I want to hear it again."

He laughed and hugged her a little tighter. "I'll say it every minute of every day if it makes you this happy. Sookie, I love you."

She squealed in delight before replying, "I love you, too. Wow, that feels really good to say. Now let's blow this popsicle stand and get some breakfast. I need to regain my strength after last night."

"I'd rather eat you for breakfast, lover." He purred the word lover close to her ear, sending shivers down her body.

"Ya know, food is overrated. Bye Amelia, I'll stop by the apartment later for my work clothes." She was about to walk down the hall with Eric, but stopped to run over and give her best friend a hug. "Thanks for your help. You need to teach me your healing ways."

"Get out of here and get back in bed with that Viking sex god. I have the feeling you have your own healing ways. In your pants!"

Sookie blushed before catching up with Eric, who had pulled his black slacks back on, basically running the entire way back to his apartment. As soon as they were in the front door, they wanted nothing more than to tear into each other. Clancy had other plans for them, as he was sitting patiently in their way with his leash in his mouth. Sookie broke out into laughter at the dog who intended to take himself for a walk. Eric gave her an apologetic look before pulling her in for a deep kiss. "To be continued. I owe him a proper walk; he's been neglected the past few days. Why don't you stay here, get comfortable, and I'll be back before you know it."

"Take your time. I'll dig up something to eat out of the fridge. I'll make enough for you, too."

"You're the best. I'll be back before you miss me."

As soon as he was out the door, she tore into his cabinets, suddenly ravenous. She found some eggs and leftover veggies, so she threw together a quick omelet. She left some aside to make another for Eric once he came back so it would be hot when he was ready to eat. As she ate, she had a very naughty idea.

_He did say he wanted to eat me for breakfast._

* * *

He came back home having taken much more time than originally intended. Clancy decided to hold it in to spite Eric and forced his master to keep him out as long as he wanted. The thirty minute run through the park was well worth the dirty look he was now receiving.

Eric thought there would be breakfast waiting, but the kitchen was completely clear and clean. As he stood still, taking in his surroundings, he could hear jazz music coming from behind his closed bedroom door. He walked over, pressing his ear against the door and could hear Sookie humming along to the melody. As he opened the only obstacle keeping him from devouring her, his whole body turned to mush. There was Sookie, dressed only in her lace undergarments and four inch heels lounging across the black sheets of his bed. Her blonde curls fell softly, framing her face. Candles danced along the perimeter of the room as the familiar sounds of Billie Holiday filled his ears. As he entered the room, her humming turned to singing.

_You're my thrill, you do something to me, you send chills right through me, _

_When I look at you, 'cause you're my thrill_

As much as he loved to hear her sing, he silenced her with his kiss. He was on her so fast, her mind could barely register it. His hands were everywhere, touching every delicate place on her body, setting her aflame. He unhooked her bra, sliding it off her frame, but was slightly less gentle with the dental floss that was passing as underwear. That he tore off with one quick motion. She reached up and tore open his shirt, buttons flying to every corner of the room. She rolled him over; straddling his waist as she slowly slid the belt from its loops.

_You're my thrill, how my pulse increases, I just go to pieces _

_When I look at you, 'cause you're my thrill_

As she sang along, she slowly rocked her hips, grinding herself against his rock hard erection. His hands found their way to her hips, flashing to the dreams that haunted him every night. She rose slightly, allowing just enough of an allowance to work his pants downs his legs. She tried hard to stay in character, but broke out in laughter when she saw his shorts.

"Since when did you play for the Bon Temps Hawks?"

He looked down and realized he was still wearing Jason's borrowed shorts. "Amelia snatched them for me so I wouldn't have to meditate in dress pants. They're your brother's. But don't let them stop you."

To emphasize his point, he raised his hips, making it easier for Sookie to take them off. She either wouldn't or couldn't; she was consumed with the giggles. "I am not stripping my brother's shorts off your world class ass. That's just a little too weird for me."

She rolled off of him just long enough for him to remove the bright red garment. As she took her rightful place, she hit the back button on the remote to start the song over again. "Sorry, but this is the only song I knew on your jazz playlist. Don't worry; I'll learn a few more so we can do this again."

"Sing it as many times as you like, you do Ms. Holiday proud. Now, I believe you were about to tell me how I thrill you. And I was about to thrill you."

She recovered the condom she had tucked under the pillow, rolling it on him lovingly. She lowered herself down onto him, moaning as he filled her completely. The words to the song were long forgotten, and the only words she could muster were his name or a few choice profanities. She braced herself against his chest as she slowly worked his member inside her. He raised himself on his elbows and caught her lips in a kiss that left them red and bruised. He thrust his hips upward quickly, catching her off guard. She gasped against his mouth and soon met his faster pace. She sat upright again before leaning back, bracing her hands against his knees this time. This arched her back, pressing her full breasts even closer to him.

As much as he loved to watch her work, there was too little contact between them. He sat up, pulling her chest to his, attacking her neck. He dug a hand into her hair, gently guiding her head so he could better reach every inch of the smooth column. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, holding him impossibly closer. Their hips worked in perfect rhythm and if the tightness of her muscles around him was any indication, she was tumbling towards ecstasy.

"Eric, I love you."

Hearing those words sent him into a frenzy and with a scream she came, clutching him in a tight embrace. His own release followed immediately. They both fell back against the bed, still wrapped tightly together.

"Mm, I love you too," he panted.

"Hey, if they make this book into a movie, think I can play Susannah?"

"That's not a fair question to ask me in this fragile state. I'd give you anything you wanted after that performance."

"I might just have to take advantage of that. How about indulging me in a shower?"

"That's an easier request; go right ahead."

"No, silly, I want to take a shower with you."

"Ah, how about the breakfast you promised me first? I was looking forward to that."

"You would have wanted breakfast instead of me, semi-naked in your bed?"

"I'll always take you naked in bed over anything. I just wasn't aware it was an option at the time."

"Breakfast it is. I'm stealing some clothes though, cooking naked is not recommended."

"Preferred, but not recommended." With that, he rummaged through his drawers to find a shirt that would cover her. He handed it to her, and after she pulled it over her naked form, she walked from the bedroom to the kitchen. He dressed in whatever was clean at the top of the drawer to meet her in the next room, needing to be next to her.

"You're killing me, you know."

"How am I doing that?" she asked as she found the eggs in the fridge, pouring them in the pan to set up.

"You're in my kitchen, wearing nothing but my t-shirt. I suppose it's just my inner caveman wanting to claim every inch of you."

"Speaking of which, did you notice this beauty?" She lifted her hair to reveal the deep purple hickey on her neck. "That was your parting gift last night."

"I'll raise you one hickey with a set of these." He lifted his shirt to show her the bright red welts that ran down his back, the result of her fingernails. "You might want to file those daggers before I start to look like a tiger."

"Then I suppose we're evenly marked. Here, Omelet a la Sookie. It's a fine delicacy."

He knew she was just joking, but it was the best breakfast he'd ever had. Perhaps it was just the knowledge she had made it for him, or a leftover endorphin rush, but eggs had never tasted better.

"While you finish up, I'm going to get started in the shower. Join me when you're finished." She walked back towards the bedroom, stripping the shirt as soon as she was out of his reach. His breakfast was soon the farthest thing from his mind at the sight of her naked and subsequent thoughts of her in the shower. He ate the remnants in one bite, sprinting to the bathroom as fast as he could.

He watched her in the shower for a moment, completely enraptured. She was under the spray, eyes closed, melting into the hot water as steam billowed all around her. Despite the vigor of the previous night and their romp just moments ago, he was hard again. He stripped, sliding into the shower stall with her, running his hands over her body, following each drop of water with a fingertip. She shivered under his touch, arching into his hands.

"Again? I think this is a new male record."

"After three years of my hand being my only date, I figured you'd understand how insatiable I am."

"Well I'm a little tender, so how about we just enjoy the heat of the shower, hm?"

She pulled him closer to her under the spray, loving the slick feel of his wet skin against hers. They kissed as the water ran over them. He blindly reached behind her and poured some shampoo into his hands. He worked it into her hair, massaging her scalp in the process, careful not to get any in her eyes. She was putty in his hands, moaning in appreciation as his fingers worked over every strand of hair.

_A girl could get used to this._

He gently guided her a step backwards, back under the water to rinse the shampoo from her hair. He repeated the process with the conditioner. He reached for the soap next, working it into a lather in his hands before they began running across her body. He turned her so her back was to him, making sure not to miss an inch of skin. As he reached her hips, he pulled her closer to him. Her head fell back against his chest, eyes still closed. His hands ran up her stomach from behind, repeating the process. He paid extra attention to her breasts, loving the noises she was making. He could only describe them as a kitten's mewing.

Satisfied that her top half was clean, he knelt down to his knees to clean her long legs. She turned around so she was facing him. She took advantage of his lowered position and washed his hair. He was peppering kisses along her stomach as his hands ran down her left leg, then back up the right. She braced a hand against the wall as he lifted each leg in turn to clean the bottoms of her feet, giving each a proper massage of their own. He stood again and swapped places with her so he could rinse the soap from his hair.

As he closed his eyes to avoid getting soap in them, he felt her hands run down his body. He didn't need to open them to know she was now on her knees, washing his legs, paying them just as much attention as he showed her. He was pulled back to reality the moment her lips wrapped around his cock and sucked deeply.

It was his turn to reach out to the wall for a little support. "What happened to just enjoying the shower?"

She pulled back for a moment, allowing her hand to continue where her mouth had just been. "My mouth isn't the sore bit. That's doing just fine. You spent plenty of time just tending to me last night, so it's my turn to worship a little bit. Relax and enjoy."

He didn't need to be told twice. He closed his eyes and relaxed into the dual heat surrounding him from the spray of the shower and Sookie's mouth. She took advantage of his incapacitated state to grab a two handfuls of her favorite part of his anatomy, releasing it to rest her hands on his hips or occasionally tracing along his legs or abs. He trailed a hand through her wet hair as well as he could, coming to rest of the back of her head, gently guiding her movements.

She was working him for all he was worth. She had all she could fit in her mouth, using her hand to stimulate the rest. He was determined to last as long as possible, what should have been an easy task considering how many times he had gotten off in the past twenty-four hours. Her mouth felt like heaven wrapped around his cock, which was making this task all the more difficult. His resolve was broken the minute her other hand traced up his leg, starting at his ankle, moving up his muscled calf and thigh to stroke his balls. He lost it, coming into her mouth as she milked him and swallowed all he could give.

He fell against the wall, shocked back into consciousness by the cold tiles and the sudden lack of hot water. Sookie screamed as soon as the cold water hit her and jumped out the shower. He struggled with the knobs, finally twisting them both off. He pointed to the clean towels stacked in the corner, which she quickly wrapped around herself. She handed him one, as well, and they worked quickly to dry themselves off.

"You know the best way to warm up?"

"Again? Seriously, Eric, you must have a bionic member if you're ready again this fast."

"No, don't be so perverted. I was going to suggest lighting a fire and curling up on the couch under a nice, thick blanket. There must be some movie on we can cuddle to."

"Sounds like the perfect afternoon. But I didn't see any firewood in your apartment. Where do you keep it hidden?"

He dressed her back in his shirt and pulled on his own pants before leading her into the living room. He directed her attention to a small switch which he flipped on. A flame roared to life in the fireplace. He pointed the vents towards the couch before falling back onto it. He lounged effortlessly, resting one leg along its length while leaving the other planted on the floor. Sookie curled up in between his legs, resting her back against his chest. He pulled the blanket around them as promised. She raised her hands, revealing the hairbrush she had swiped from his bathroom. She began to work the knots out of her hair, but soon her movements were being guided.

"Allow me. You find us something to watch."

He passed the brush through her thick hair gently, working every knot out carefully to avoid hurting her. He was studying the profile of her face, trying to read the emotions that crossed her features. She seemed deep in thought, the gears of her mind working overtime to process everything.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

"I'm happy with what happened this morning, but I'm just confused as to how it was so easy for you to move from overwhelmed to accepting of your feelings."

"Well, Amelia suggested meditating, which I wasn't sure would help, but trusted her. She was reading about a snow lodge and it felt as if I was there. I was walking down this long hallway and all of a sudden, I saw you talking to Felicia. She and I had this long conversation about how it was okay to be in love and to live my life. Rationally, I know it was just part of my subconscious talking, but it felt so real. It was enough confirmation that this is exactly where I'm supposed to be in my life."

"And where's that?"

"With you. I don't know how much you believe about being able to talk to those who have passed, but she told me that she sent you to me."

"She's still looking over you, taking care of you. And I think she knows that I'd take good care of you, too."

"I think I always knew that."

"You don't talk about her much. You've told me how you met, but you don't talk about who she was."

"She said the same thing; that I was working so hard to keep you apart. I guess that's what she meant. I've tried to keep my feelings separated but both of you are part of who I am. Would you want to know more about her?"

"I'll listen to anything you want to share with me."

"I think the two of you would have gotten along. You have very similar personalities. Totally full of life, completely independent, wouldn't take shit from anybody. She always had an opinion and made sure you knew it. She was viciously protective of her friends. She'd move mountains for those she cared about, but so rarely took a minute for herself. I guess that's why I told her to go out that night."

"That night?"

He paused. He wasn't sure if he could talk about that. He thought about the events of that night over and over but had never voiced them. He hadn't even told Pam the specific details that had led to the depths of his guilt. Perhaps saying them would make the last of the dark thoughts go away.

"I just want to say that I've never told anyone this before. So just bear with me if I need to stop."

"Take your time. I'm right here." She reached out for his hand and wrapped her fingers around his. He squeezed back, wrapping his other arm around her waist.

"I was writing the last book, really at the heart of the story. It consumed my every thought. I was barely sleeping. I would just lock myself in the study all day and night typing away. She would drag me away to eat and sleep, literally stripping my clothes off and throwing me into the shower when the smell got too bad. I was ignoring her, I was just so focused on that fucking book." He released her hand, realizing how tightly he was gripping it, fearful he would hurt her. She placed it on his leg to keep the contact.

"Her girlfriend had just gotten a promotion and they were planning a night out. Felicia never drank, but felt so... neglected that she went out with them. I told her it would be a good idea, she needed a night out to have fun. I promised her a vacation after the book was done so we could reconnect. She came into the room, gave me a kiss on the cheek, and left. A few hours later, I got a phone call from a strange number. I didn't pick up, figuring it was just some wrong number. I forgot about the message until a few hours later. It was the hospital; she had been hit by a drunk driver while she was walking home. She was unconscious and unstable, they didn't think she'd make it through the night. I was sitting, typing at my computer while my wife was dying, alone in a hospital bed. I rushed to her side as fast as I could. I spent a few hours holding her hand but she was completely unresponsive. The monitors started to buzz and I was pushed out of the room. A few minutes later, the doctor came out and told me she was gone."

She could feel tears running down her cheek, and another against her shoulder. She looked up and saw Eric was crying too. She turned in his arms, cradling his head against her shoulder as he let out all those years of emotion at once. She believed him when he said he never told anyone that story. He clung to her, and cried all the pain and regret out of his system. As the sobs subsided, he could feel a tremendous weight lifted from his shoulders. He physically felt lighter, free from the emotional chains that held him prisoner for so long.

"I won't let that happen again; I won't let her die in vain. I will never allow my writing to get between us. I will never choose it over you."

"You can't make that promise, Eric. I won't let you. There are times when you'll need to write. I'll understand if I have to take a backseat for a night. But look at how much progress you've made so far; you're nearly halfway through the book and you haven't ignored your life or health for it. You have grown from what happened."

She grasped his face in her hands, for once, forcing him to look in her eyes. "You were there when it mattered. You were there with her in her final moments. That's all that counts. You need to know that."

He looked into her eyes and she could see the light turn on as the realization hit him. "You're right. I made it, I was there."

They held each other for the rest of the day while Eric shared more of his prior life with Felicia. Throughout the afternoon, the conversation flowed easier and Eric became more animated. They were soon hysterically laughing over old memories and shared experiences. Eric reflected back to their first meeting when he was able to share a small piece of himself with Sookie. The joy he felt in that moment was amplified a thousand times. They bonded that afternoon, curled up on the couch, in front of what Sookie called a fake fire, closer than Eric could have ever imagined. The last bridge had been crossed and he was officially a new man. He was ready to reap the benefits of this fresh start; a beautiful girl on his arm and a career that was ready to be jump started. He was more determined than ever to make this right.

**A/N2: Yay! Happy Happy! Chisaii-kitty was hoping to help Eric find the "wood" in his apartment. I wouldn't mind a little hunt myself. I know the first place I'd look ;)**

**I'm going to jump in time a wee bit and get into the Christmas spirit with this story. From the obsessive level of holiday cheer Sookie has displayed so far, you can imagine how much fun that chapter(s?) is going to be. I don't have my own Christmas memories (being Jewish and all) so if any of you want to share a particularly awesome moment that you wouldn't mind possibly being worked into the story line, I'm all ears.**

**Please review, they're a hell of a drug.**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: Ho Ho Ho! Merry Early Christmas. I'm feeling the spirit, channeling all my Gentile (non-Jewish) knowledge into this chapter. I should have just made them celebrate Hanukah, now that would have been out of canon! **

**I just want to say thank you to everyone who reviewed last chapter. No holiday memories shared, but some brave readers opened up about losing a loved one in the past. My heart goes out to all of you, and I hope this silly little story provides some level of catharsis to all of you.**

**Many thanks to my beta, chisaii-kitty, for giving this the once over and making sure I did Santa justice.**

**Disclaimer: See every previous chapter. Nothing's changed.**

It was a week until Christmas, and Sookie had just convinced Eric to buy a tree. She hadn't won the argument outright, however, which was obvious by the 2-foot tall artificial tree sitting atop his table. Still, she decorated it tenderly with garland, tinsel, and an assortment of ornaments that Eric found tucked away in a closet. She had just placed the angel at the top when he came back from walking Clancy. He released the dog from his leash and shucked off the heavy coat. Winter had finally found his precious city, the air was cold and the wind was bitter. Clancy didn't seem to mind and would keep Eric out far longer than he preferred.

As he hung up his coat, he flipped through the mail he had collected from the lobby. A small red postcard caught his eye.

"If I remember correctly, you have your picture taken with Santa every year. Why haven't we gone yet?"

"We? You would actually go to the mall with me to take your picture with Santa?"

"Who said anything about the mall? Just got a note from the groomers that Santa is making his last visit to the store. All animals and owners are invited to come down to have their photo taken. What do you say, should we take Clancy? His past Christmas was spent watching me get plastered out of my mind. I think he deserves a proper celebration."

"Oh my God, we have to! You owe it to him to meet Santa! Oh, we could get him a cute little outfit..."

"No. Clancy does not play dress up. He's not some pansy chihuahua, he's a ninety pound retriever. Very manly."

She turned to face Eric with a pout on her face. She knew he couldn't resist when she was pouting. "But if he's meeting Santa he needs to look his best. My parents used to dress me in some pretty heinous outfits for the annual picture. It's tradition."

He walked over to her, kissing her pushed out lower lip. "Not a chance."

If pouting didn't work, she would have to turn to plan B, a dirty trick with a hint of compromise. She rose up on her tip toes to kiss and nip his neck just the way he liked. "How 'bout just a festive collar?"

"You're not playing fair. Just a collar, nothing outrageous."

She celebrated with a giggle and a kiss to his lips. She wiped off her smile and replaced it with a solemn expression before placing her hand over her heart. "I promise to maintain Clancy's masculinity with his wardrobe choices for meeting Santa."

"Thank you, that's all I ask."

"Your outfit on the other hand..."

* * *

Waiting in line with the other dog owners at the groomers, Sookie could barely contain her excitement. She wasn't able to get Eric to don his holiday best, but she was able to negotiate him into a red sweater. She, on the other hand, was wearing a long sleeved shirt with Santa's sleigh being pulled by his nine reindeer over jeans, a Santa hat and jingle bell earrings that chimed every time she turned her head.

With a little convincing she was able to get Eric to concede to reindeer antlers for Clancy. Eric would have been more upset if Clancy wasn't enjoying it. The entire walk to the store, the dog had a spring in his step, holding his head high. The smile it brought to Sookie's face made it all worth it. Sookie had even convinced Amelia to get in on the fun. She had been far more accommodating, dressing Bob up in an elf's costume.

The three of them decided to pose for one picture. Bob was placed in Santa's lap, Clancy sitting at his feet, with Amelia on one side of his chair and Eric and Sookie on the other. With the most serious look she could muster, Sookie warned her two friends to smile pretty and the two pups to be on their best behavior. Eric stood behind Sookie, but when he tried to wrap his arms around her, she hit them away saying he would block the picture on her shirt. He settled for holding her hips.

The photographer snapped a few frames, and the flash must have startled Bob. He began to shake, and in fear, peed right on Santa's lap. He was immediately put on the floor while Amelia apologized profusely. The owners of the store stepped in to assure her it was alright, even expected when dealing with animals. They said that the company sent several spare outfits for Santa to change into in case of accidents. Just to be on the safe side, they ordered one of the more expensive photo packages.

They decided to take the dogs for a walk afterward. Sookie kept shooting Amelia angry glances, and finally she couldn't take it anymore.

"Sookie, are you mad at me?"

"Yes I'm mad! Bob ruined the picture!"

"No he didn't, the guy was able to get a few really good frames before the little guy let loose. The shot we ordered was really nice, so relax."

"Maybe if you didn't make him wear that stupid costume he wouldn't have done it." As soon as the words left his mouth, Eric immediately regretted them. Even Clancy looked up at him with a look that just screamed, "Dude, you're screwed."

"Both of you are assholes. I'm going to work early." With that, Sookie turned away from them to head to the subway that would get her to the bar. Eric handed Amelia the leash he was holding so he could run after her.

"Sookie, would you slow down? Wait, let's talk about this." He grabbed her and turned her to face him, noticing the tears that were threatening the spill in her eyes.

"I just wanted a nice Christmas picture. I always had to drag Jason to take one with me, and he would never smile because he thought it was stupid. Bill never even agreed to come along in all the years we dated. The last decent picture I have is from when I was six; it was the last one before my parents died."

"But Amelia was right, we got a good picture. Everyone was smiling and both dogs were looking at the camera. Everything in that one frame was perfect."

"Except for the stupid costumes."

"You have to admit, Bob looked a little silly. But look at Clancy, and you tell me that dog isn't ecstatic to be wearing those antlers."

"I thought he made a cute elf."

"Well, some dogs just weren't meant for costumes and cameras. Apparently, Bob is one of those dogs."

"Ugh. I guess I'm just overreacting. I just wanted one really great Christmas memory."

"Why don't you come by tonight after work and we'll make one."

"Now what's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll find out after work. Now stop being mad and give me a kiss."

He pulled her close to his body, kissing her lips to the point where he was concerned they might freeze together. He brought his hand up to hold her face, hitting her earring which began to jingle. She laughed, letting go of any anger she was holding on to.

"I really do have to get to work. I should go apologize to Amelia and head out. I love you."

"Love you too."

Amelia joined them, hugging her best friend to let her know all was forgiven. As soon as Sookie was out of earshot, she turned to Eric.

"Bob looked like an idiot. I completely agree with you. Little bastard peed on it so he wouldn't have to wear it again."

"At least you had the common sense to wait until after she left to say that. By the way, any idea where I can find a Santa's hat on short notice?"

* * *

Sookie was dead tired as she stepped off the subway platform, but each step closer she got to Eric's apartment, she began to perk up. She was banking on an awesome surprise and hoping for some good old fashion Christmas cheer. As she entered the lobby of the building, she flashed a smile at the security guard at the front desk. They had grown familiar with her and usually let her up to Eric's floor without calling up to him first. This time, Victor called her over.

"Mr. Northman wanted me to give this to you in case he fell asleep before you arrived. He didn't want to miss you," he pressed a key into her hand and sent her off with a wave.

As she rode up the elevator, her head was spinning. Was this key for her to keep? Had their relationship progressed to the point where they were giving each other keys to their apartments? Her too tired brain finally acknowledged that it was spinning things out of proportion and Sookie was determined not to think too much on it until she spoke to Eric.

She arrived at his door and knocked out of habit. When he didn't say anything and she didn't hear anyone coming to the door besides Clancy, she used the key to let herself in. The apartment was completely silent and Eric's bedroom door was shut. She peeked first into his study to see if he was writing, but it was empty. She silently made her way back to his bedroom, not wanting to wake him if he had fallen asleep. She opened the door, noticing that Eric had pulled a page from her book. There he was sprawled across the bed while holiday music was softly playing over his speakers, wearing nothing but a smile and a strategically placed Santa hat.

"Oh, Eric, what have you done?"

"I was going to go with mistletoe, but I thought it would be too obvious."

"Any other girl would be mortified, but I love it. Is that gingerbread I smell?"

"Mhm, it's amazing what scents they make for candles. Now come sit in Santa's lap and tell me everything you want."

She straddled his legs just below the hat, noticing how high it stood on its own. She played with the white pom-pom at the top while she thought about it.

"Well, I never got that pony I asked for when I was ten. But for tonight, I suppose I can settle for a mind blowing orgasm."

"Consider it yours. But first, you have to indulge me." He reached under the pillow and pulled out a bright red sleeping mask. Embroidered across the front in white thread was "Waiting for Santa".

"Where on Earth did you find that?"

"Party supply store. Found a few other goodies there too. But this was borrowed from a certain Santa obsessed girlfriend," he said, emphasizing his point by thrusting his hips causing the white fluff on top to bounce around.

He sat up, pulling her face closer to his and gently kissed her lips. He kissed a trail along her jaw up to her ear. He traced his tongue along its shell before whispering, "Wouldn't your fantasies coming true make for some amazing memories?"

She lost all ability to speak, so she answered by nodding her head in the affirmative. He pulled her shirt off her so it wouldn't disturb the blindfold once it was in place. He kissed each of her eyelids before sliding the band around her head, fitting it into place. He guided her to lay back on the bed. First to go were her sneakers, which landed with a thud on the floor. The unexpected loud noise startled her, and she jumped and gasped in surprise. Eric was worried she might not enjoy this as much as she thought she would. "If at any point you want to take the blindfold off, just do so. This is all about you, I don't want you to be nervous or uneasy about anything."

"Then don't make loud noises. I want this, Eric, please don't stop."

He slid his hands up her legs, stopping at the waistband of her jeans. He traced a finger from one hip to the other just underneath the band. He pulled the pants down her legs, softly placing them on the floor. He laughed when he caught a glimpse of her underwear; they were patterned with wreaths. He slid them down as well, letting them join her jeans on the floor. He ran his hands gently from her feet to her bra, removing it, tossing it to the growing pile of clothes. Now was time for the fun to start.

He wanted to start with his hands. He explored every inch of her flawless skin, alternating between using the flats of his palms and the very tips of his fingers. He never followed straight lines, keeping her surprised as to where his hands would appear next. By the time his lips connected with the inside of her wrist, she was moaning with every breath. His lips followed the same paths, covering her skin while savoring her sweet taste. He purposely avoided her most erogenous zones, must to her dismay. He moved up her body, to her neck, paying extra attention to all the spots he knew she loved.

"More, please," her body was trembling with want, seeking its own pleasure.

He reached for the long forgotten hat, letting the soft fuzz trail along her skin. He trailed it along her collarbone before softly brushing it against her breasts.

"What is that?"

"If you can guess right, I'll give you exactly what you want."

"Do it again, I want to feel it again." He let it drift from left to right, making sure it passed across her now tightly pebbled nipples.

"Is that your hat?"

"Technically, it's your hat. But I think that's close enough."

He lay over her, slowly entering her, much to her very vocally expressed delight. Their bodies moved in perfect harmony, bringing the other to the most extreme pleasure possible. She wrapped her legs around his waist, bringing him even tighter to her body. He could tell she was close, and he knew he'd be right behind her. He ripped off the blindfold, the need to look into her eyes too great to bear. He felt her tighten around him as she screamed out his name, sending him toppling over the edge deep inside her.

As they lay together, trying to catch their breath, she looked over at him. "That was unbelievable. Way better than Amelia described it."

"I'm sure Amelia didn't get the full Christmas experience. It's amazing what a little holiday magic can do in the bedroom."

She glanced over the at empty condom wrapper and burst into a fit of giggles. The foil package was red with green writing, "Ho Ho Ho" completely covering it. She picked it off the bed and threw it at him.

"What kind of party supply store do you shop at?"

"One with a sick sense of humor. I'll tell ya, I got some weird looks from the clerks when I checked out."

"I'll bet. This is most definitely going at the top of my list of awesome memories."

"It's not even Christmas yet. I still have three days to make this your best ever."

"There's more?"

"You haven't unwrapped your presents yet. It can't be declared the best ever until you open them all up."

"Do I get a hint as to what you got me?"

"It's one of a kind, no one else in the world will have what you have. And that's just one piece of the puzzle. Do I get a clue as to what you got me?"

"It's one of a kind, but someone else will have what you have."

"Interesting. So tell me, what are we doing for Christmas? I'm assuming you want to spend it with family."

"You're part of that family circle now. Amelia and I are making Christmas Eve dinner at the apartment, then some of us are going to Midnight Mass. Jason and Sam will probably come over in the morning for a big breakfast after we all exchange presents. You are of course invited to all of that, but before you make up your mind, know that Pam has already committed to coming."

"Sounds like a perfect holiday. Certainly an interesting family dynamic."

"It's not perfect, but it's mine."

* * *

Eric woke Christmas morning feeling slightly sore. He realized suddenly why they never slept at Sookie's apartment when they spent the night together. Two grown adults cannot comfortably fit on a twin mattress, especially when one of those adults is nearly six and a half feet tall. Sookie on the other hand, was perfectly nestled into his side without a care in the world. He watched her sleep while trying to covertly find a more comfortable position without waking her. Her calm expression suddenly sprouted a wide smile.

"Eric?"

"Yes, lover?"

She cracked her eyes just a slit to look over at him. "It's Christmas morning. Time to find what Santa brought us."

She jumped out of bed, pulling a red robe over her Santa nightgown. She tried to pull him out of bed, but he resisted. "Eric, come on! Get out of bed and get dressed. It's Christmas. We can't stay in bed."

"I have ways of convincing you otherwise."

"None of that, come on, up! Now!"

"I am up, see?" He lifted the blankets to prove his point.

"You're not getting any until we all open presents. So the faster you get out of bed, the faster we get back in it."

"We still have to wait for Amelia and Pam to wake up, let alone your brother and Sam to get here. Get back in bed and we'll snuggle until everyone shows up."

Just to spite him, the doorbell rang as soon as the words left his mouth. She gave him a gleeful smile and ran out the bedroom door. She ran into their small living room, stopping dead in her tracks when she looked out the window, causing Eric, who was following her, to crash into her, nearly knocking them both to the ground.

"It's snowing. I've never had a White Christmas before!" She turned in Eric's arms with the brightest smile across her face. "This really is going to be the best Christmas ever." She pulled him into a kiss just to show him how happy she was. The doorbell started buzzing constantly pulling them out of their moment. Amelia picked that moment to come storming out of her bedroom.

"Oh, I have to stop messing around to answer the door while the two of you are making out in the living room? Seriously? We need a new doorbell, that is the most obnoxious noise ever."

"Amelia, look, it's snowing. White Christmas!"

Amelia looked out the window and the same childlike smile broke out on her face. "Oh my God, Pam, come check this out!"

"Unless it's snowing naked women, I'm not leaving this bed until I come. If you want to be a part of it, I suggest you get back in here!"

Amelia considered it for a moment before ducking back to her bedroom with a wicked smile. The buzzing returned, reminding Sookie to let her guests in. She opened the door to a very impatient Jason and Sam.

Eric had gotten the coffee pot brewing while the boys took their coats off, so by the time everyone had settled down on the couch to wait for Pam and Amelia, it was ready to pour. They didn't have to wait long for the twosome who were greeted by a round of applause.

Pam was practically beaming, "So, Ames here already gave me my present but what are the rest of you waiting for?"

Sookie bolted off the couch, passing all the wrapped bundles of joy to all her friends. There were even red and green rawhide bones for Bob and a visiting Clancy.

Sookie found exactly what she was looking for. As much as she loved her friends, what she really wanted from under the tree was her present from Eric. She found the large rectangle but noticed two smaller boxes with his handwriting on them as well, all addressed "To My Lover". She handed Eric his present, asking which she should open first. He pointed to the smaller box, letting her know to open them in size order.

She tore the paper from the gift, revealing a small velvet box. Opening it slowly, her eyes grew wide at the necklace it held. It was something she had mentioned in passing to Eric, her fascination with Carrie's nameplate necklace in _Sex and the City_. He had ordered one for her, as they didn't carry a rare name like Sookie in most stores. Her entire name sparkled from the embedded diamonds studded throughout.

"Oh, Eric, this is too much. But I love it. It's perfect. Thank you."

She gave him a kiss before opening the medium box. It was thin and she couldn't place what it might be. As she tore the paper, she was happy to see it was their photo with Santa in a sparkling frame. She laughed and showed it to Amelia, who was holding one of her own.

Next was the largest box. It was heavy, and again she had no idea what was inside. She looked over at Eric as the paper was torn off revealing a white box. He was beaming with pride, obviously proud of his selection. As she removed the top, it was hard to stop the tears from coming. It was a painting of a beautiful woman with a mysterious man in a long trench coat in the background. The woman had curves for days, long blonde hair and her wide brimmed hat was pulled over her eyes. The smirk on her lips held as many different emotions as the Mona Lisa's, changing in meaning depending on how you looked at her.

"Is this who I think they are?"

"Susannah and Danger. I met with the artist who does my cover work a little while ago. That is the original piece that will grace the cover of every copy of _Danger is a Dame_. And it's yours."

"Oh my God, I can't believe it. This is too much, you spent way too much on all this."

"Does that mean you don't want it? Because I know a huge number of fangirls that would kill for that artwork, not as many named Sookie so I might have more trouble getting rid of the necklace."

His poker face betrayed him, his expression let Sookie know he was just playing with her. Just to be safe, she clasped the necklace behind her neck and held the painting close. "Nope, they're mine. No take backs."

She pulled him to her for a kiss to show her appreciation only to have pillows thrown at her head by her disgusted brother. She blushed at forgetting everyone around her, urging Eric to open his gift. He opened the paper gingerly, knowing Sookie probably spent hours wrapping it just right. Behind the foil paper was a picture frame which held a photo of the two of them. It was a candid, neither were looking at the camera but the looks on their faces spoke volumes. She was smiling, obviously laughing hysterically while he looked down at her with complete love and devotion in his eyes. It was the look he saw on Hoyt's face when they were at the piano bar.

"Claudine snapped it at the bar a few weeks ago. She likes to think of herself as a budding photographer. I just fell it love with it and I knew you'd love it too. I know you're the kind of guy who has everything you need, and the money to buy anything you want. I went the sentimental route instead. I have the same print, I had to hide it when I knew you were spending the night."

"It's perfect. I love it and, more importantly, I love you."

"I love you, too." He pulled her in for another kiss, calling for another round of pillow throwing.

Presents were soon set aside as hunger settled over the group. Sookie and Amelia headed into the kitchen to make french toast for everyone while the rest of the group shared the spoils of the holiday. Soon the makeshift family had gathered around the table with the yule log playing in the background. As the snow fell softly all around them, it blanketed and washed away bad memories from years past, setting the perfect scene for a day full of bright hopes and expectations.

**A/N Aw, yay! The ending was inspired by the massive snowfall we had here in NYC over the weekend. As of now, weather reports call for a White Christmas so for Sookie's sake I'm crossing my fingers.**

** Hopefully this helps set the mood for your own celebrations. Personally, my family will be going to an old friend's house on Thursday for tree trimming and amazing homemade Italian food. I'll also be celebrating the traditional Jewish-Christmas with a movie followed by Chinese food. I hope everyone has an amazing holiday!**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: Wow, it's been over a week since I updated, this is sort of a weird feeling for me. On top of my case of writer's block, I just didn't have a lot of time to write. I slowly pieced this together, and finally got it to a place where I'm happy with it. Hope you like it to.**

**Thanks to my beta, chisaii-kitty for convincing me it was good and telling me my new ideas sounded readable to someone other than me. Expect something new, and non-AH, from me soon!**

**Disclaimer: Not mine :(**

Waking up was not Sookie's forte. Even though her morning routine took less than thirty minutes on a good day, she needed to set her alarm for way more time than that. Most of it was spent hitting the snooze button or finding the alarm clock to turn it off after it got thrown against the wall. Thank God Amelia was a morning person; she always had a pot of coffee brewing long before Sookie woke up. It was liquid heaven in a mug. She wondered if she could just set up caffeine to be taken intravenously to avoid burning her mouth like she did most days.

In the weeks since she'd been dating Eric, she found a new favorite way to jump start her morning. He would wake her with gentle kisses along the back of her neck and a hand rubbing along her side. The kick to her libido was definitely helpful in clearing the cobwebs from her mind. Chasing after those retreating hands as they left for the shower got her out of bed faster than her building's fire alarm. The warm embrace of her lover's body in a hot shower, not to mention the view, was slowly replacing a second cup of java.

By some miracle she had actually woken up before he had a chance to begin his process. She stole a glance at the clock and noticed it was later than either of them normally slept in. She rolled over to find a note card where Eric usually slept. Depressed that she would not be getting her normal wake up, she took the note and read it over. He had an early meeting with Pam to go over press releases, tour dates and the like for the book/movie combo. He had mentioned it last night, but in her post-coital haze she had forgotten. The date was several months away, but from what he described to her, a lot of planning needed to go into this type of thing.

She convinced herself to get out of bed, willing her body to make its way into the kitchen for coffee. Her heart sang with joy when she saw the pot was full and still hot, Eric was thoughtful of her caffeine needs. She poured herself a mug and sipped it slowly while she looked down at the traffic below. The city was starting to buzz; New Year's Eve was tomorrow and there was a sudden population growth as there was every year at this time. She and Eric were going to a party thrown by the publishing firm at Pam's insistence. She would have been just as happy to spend it quietly with him, counting down from the comfort of his living room. Pam believed he needed to get his face back out into the public, to start networking again to remind people that he existed and they should spent their hard earned money on his books.

She reflected on the day when she had gone dress shopping with Amelia. They must have gone through dozens of racks in several stores but nothing was wowing her. Amelia wasn't going to the party, but thankfully was sticking out the all day excursion with Sookie. She normally stuck to clothes that didn't draw much attention, but this was a big time party, so she was going all out. Since she was looking outside her comfort zone, it was taking her a little longer than usual.

It was Amelia's shriek from the opposite end of the store that drew her out of her thoughts. Her best friend was now running at her full speed with a dress in her hands. She held it up to Sookie, whose jaw was now on the floor. The red dress was knee length with a strapless sweetheart neckline. The red layer was gorgeous but it was the sheer black lace overlay that made the dress. It was patterned with flowers, came up to create a halter top and was belted at the waistline by a wide black satin band. As soon as she put it on, she knew it was the one. They were out the door within minutes.

Sookie was pulled from her daydream by the locks turning. She turned around just as the door opened to see a soaking wet Eric coming through. He had apparently forgotten his umbrella and paid the price. Sookie was definitely not going to complain about his forgetfulness as he was quickly stripping each layer off his body. He hadn't even noticed Sookie standing at the opposite end of the room in his rush to get the wet, cold clothes off.

"Do you strip like this frequently? If so, I'm praying for rain everyday and hiding your umbrellas."

He looked at her from across the room, not having expected her to be conscious already. "If I knew you were standing there, I would have asked for a little help."

"Oh, I'm real good at getting you to take your clothes off. I'm even better at getting you hot." She poured a cup of coffee and handed it to him. "Here, step one in getting nice and toasty."

He took a mouthful before eyeing her suspiciously. "What's step two?"

"Finish getting naked and meet me in the bedroom to find out."

She darted away, closing the door behind her. He finished peeling the soaked jeans from his legs and followed her. He knocked, unsure if he should enter just yet, having no idea as to what she had planned.

She opened it with a big smile, "Why are you knocking? This is your bedroom, silly. Come on in, go head and get cozy face down on the bed."

He did as she said, laying down on his bed, his face nestled against the pillows. He inhaled, noticing he had chosen Sookie's pillow instead of his own, suddenly intoxicated by her sweet scent. He was so lost in the fragrance he barely noticed Sookie joining him on the bed. He heard a click then all he could smell was vanilla. He heard her rub her hands together, then felt them spread across his back with ease. Her small hands made short work of any tension in his muscles, kneading them into submission. His mind turned to mush as she continued her ministrations.

He noticed as she continued to work, humming softly, that the lotion was warming with every pass of her hands. She braced herself against his lower back, blowing gently causing warm to turn to hot. Very hot. Uncomfortably hot. And suddenly itchy. Her next exclamation was what concerned him most, "Uh-oh."

"I don't like the sound of that 'uh-oh'. What's wrong, what's going on?"

"I think you're having an allergic reaction to the massage lotion. We need to get you in the shower now to wash it off. And by now, I mean five minutes ago. Up, up now!"

Luckily she had only spread the lotion on his back, not his entire body or more sensitive places. He sat in the tub while she started the spray, slightly on the cool side to ease the discomfort he felt. She lathered soap in her hands, not wanting to bother with a wash cloth that would only further irritate his skin. She continued her massage, now with suds letting her hands glide across his shoulders.

"Looks like washing it off and the cool water is helping. The redness is still there, but the swelling seems to be going down."

"So much for warming me up."

* * *

He fixed his tie for the third time, still not happy with how it was sitting against his shirt. Sookie was in the bathroom, getting dressed away from his eyes and roaming hands. She wanted her outfit to be a surprise; the only hint was the metallic deep red tie he was currently fighting with. He didn't have a need for one in a long time and was slightly out of practice.

"Didn't anyone ever teach you how to fix one of those? I didn't think I'd need to get you a clip on."

He turned from his reflection to the bathroom door to see Sookie standing in her red party dress. She had left her hair down in curls, finishing the outfit with gold bangle bracelets and black patent leather pumps. He was at a loss for words as he took her in. She walked over to him, undid, and then properly fixed his tie.

"Jason doesn't know how to do these either. With him, I really do have to go the clip on route."

"There are no words to describe how beautiful you look right now."

"Aw, thank you. My cheeks match my dress, don't they?"

"Mhm, now how am I supposed to keep my hands off you the entire length of the party? It's not even nine, and I need to wait until midnight to tear this dress off you."

"Sounds like a personal problem. We should be heading out; we don't want to be late to your big reintroduction to society."

"You're making this sound like a debutant ball. It's a New Year's party."

"It's also an 'I'm Eric Northman, big shot author, who has a new book and a movie coming out,' party, according to Pam."

"Ugh, she's going to drag my ass around like a prized pony, showing me off to everyone that matters. Please, don't leave my side; I don't think I can do this without you."

She was tempted to laugh, but looked up into his eyes and saw the pleading desperation in them. He was being serious. "I won't, not for a second."

He kissed her, feeling his anxiety waning just by having her in his arms. His phone rang; Pam had sent him a text message to alert him of her presence downstairs.

The limo ride to the hotel was short and the champagne was helping everyone's nerves. Sookie was about to enter a room full of people that make more money in an hour than she does in a week. Being with Eric helped ease the tension and she knew alcohol would take away the rest.

As they entered the ballroom where the party was in full swing, her heart sank and she knew no amount of booze would calm her down. The emcee of the evening, and apparent party planner, was none other than her ex-boyfriend, John Quinn.

While she had tried to have an amicable breakup, he had done everything in his power to convince her she was with the wrong guy ever since she told him that she was seriously dating Eric. He would send her lewd text messages, including a few photos she could have done without. He even still came to their traditional Thursday outings just to goad Eric into a fight or saying something stupid in front of Sookie. She was hoping that he would just stay on stage, far away from her throughout the night.

Within minutes, Pam was dragging them around the room to a chorus of handshakes and introductions. Luckily as a waitress, she had a ton of practice looking engaged in conversations she had little interest in. She didn't mind running around the room as it kept her away from Quinn's heated glare.

Pam had dragged Eric away once they had sat down with a bite to eat. He left the table unwillingly, not wanting to have to face the vermin without Sookie by his side, but she was too enthralled with her food to walk away. He didn't have the heart to separate her from her plate and hoped the drinks he had been consuming all night would give him the confidence to talk to anyone Pam threw his way.

With this, Sookie was left alone at the table. Quinn took this opportunity to pounce, making his way to the unoccupied seat to her left. "Well, Babe, I didn't think I'd be seeing you at a big party like this."

"A – please stop calling me that. Hearing the word 'Babe' leave your lips makes me want to hurl and this food is far too good to waste. B – I'm here with Eric, his publishing firm is the one throwing this party, you know, the people paying you."

"Ah, so you're the arm candy for the evening, I get it. You sure do fill the role perfectly. That dress looks great on you."

"Thank you. I wasn't expecting such a nice compliment out of you."

"It would look even better on my bedroom floor."

"And there's the Quinn I've grown to hate. My friends are right, you're an idiot."

Her eyes started to scan the crowd, hoping to find Eric so he could swoop in and save the day.

"You're really into this guy, aren't you?"

"What makes you say that? I mean, besides the countless times I've told you."

"You've got this look in your eyes. I saw you guys dancing, and you both looked really happy. I don't think you ever looked at me that way. I'm really out of the picture, aren't I?"

"I tried to stay friends with you, but you chose to alienate yourself. You drove the stake between us by acting like a grade A asshole. So please, let this be the last time I have to ask you to leave me and Eric alone. I'm getting awfully bored of this game, and it's only making me hate you more."

"Alright. Listen, I gotta get back on stage, it's almost countdown time, you should try and find your sweetie, ya know, for your midnight kiss."

"Her sweetie found her, thanks for keeping Sookie company though. I can take it from here."

Quinn rose from the table, going toe to toe with Eric. He gave him a once over before reaching out for a handshake. "She's a saint, don't let her get away. Be good to her, better than I ever could."

Eric looked at him curiously, "Thanks for the relationship advice. Don't you have a job to do?"

Quinn had a good comeback, but bit his tongue for Sookie's sake. He walked away, leaving Eric alone with Sookie again. "As much as I'd hate to say it, he's right. Care to dance 2009 away with me?"

She took his hand as he led her onto the dance floor. They started slow dancing to "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis; his hands on her waist and her hands wrapped around his neck. "You didn't need to be such a jerk, by the way. I know we're used to Quinn acting like a sleazeball, but he was mostly decent tonight. I think he finally gets it."

"Does this mean that 2010 will be Quinn-free?"

"Looks that way. Are you going to apologize?"

"I'll never apologize for defending you. But I suppose in this case my defense was a bit too strong. If I offended you, I'm sorry."

"I accept." She laid her face on Eric's chest, melting farther into his embrace. "Next year's going to be a good year."

"As long as I still have you, it will be amazing."

Quinn led everyone in the countdown to midnight. They stopped dancing, joining in.

5...

4...

3...

2...

1...

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The room was suddenly showered with confetti as "Auld Lang Syne" started to play. He pulled her in close, finding her lips in a passionate kiss to welcome the new year. They stood, simply kissing, on the dance floor until Pam tapped him on the shoulder.

"Care to come up for air? I want to head out of here and since we shared a limo..."

"We'll have to leave too. Pity."

He grabbed Sookie's hand and made his way to the exit. As she pulled her coat on, he whispered in her ear, "I told you I'd tear this dress off come midnight."

"Please don't, I really like it and want to wear it again."

"Well then, once we get home, I'll delicately extract you from that dress and take you all night."

"That's more like it!"

They piled in the limo; Pam kicked off her heels and started rubbing her feet.

"Did you tell her yet? About the promo night?"

"No, but I was just about to. One of the new associates came up with this great marketing approach for the book release. They want to do a murder mystery night worked around the plot using my characters. They're even raising some from the dead."

"That's so cool! That's going to be so much fun. I went to a murder mystery train ride wedding once; poor bride got murdered by her hubby. What a way to start their lives together."

"Eric didn't even mention the best part. We couldn't think of anyone more qualified to play the role of Susannah. Hopefully you'll even indulge the crowd in a few songs. Eric tells me you've been practicing your jazz standards."

"That does sound like fun. How many people are we talking about?"

Eric looked to Pam fill in the details. They had been vague when describing the event to him, especially since it was in the earliest of planning stages. "A hundred or so. It's scheduled for a dinner so there can only be so many people."

"Oh, kind of like at the bar. And then I have to be her all night. Oh my gosh, are you going to be Danger? Do I get to seduce you?"

"No, I get to play the role of the lovable author signing autographs for my adoring fans. But you do get to seduce Danger. But please no kissing."

"This is going to be amazing. I'm going to learn a bunch of new jazz songs and knock everyone out! Waiting for the next few months is going to be torture."

Eric was relieved that she was happy. He didn't know how she'd react to having to sing in front of rabid fans. As long as she was excited, he could relax. They pulled up to his apartment building where he and Sookie left the car. Pam shouted after them, "Don't forget, your deadline is in two weeks! Finish this bitch already!"

He noticed that during the elevator ride up, Sookie's mood had soured considerably. It didn't improve as they entered the apartment. "What's wrong?"

"If your deadline is coming up, then I won't be seeing a lot of you. You need to focus. This might be the last night for a while I'll be spending over here."

"I don't think so. Yes, we'll be spending less time together, but I still want you to come over. I need someone to remind me to take breaks. Besides, if this is our last night together for the moment, we should make it count."

And they did, several times.

**A/N2: Aw happy times! Here's a link to Sookie's party dress, which I'm falling in love with: ****http: // www(dot)edressme(dot)com / faviana - halter -59(dot)html**** Just remove the spaces and the (dots). Hope everyone has a Happy New Year. Be safe if you go out to parties and get drunk! **


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: I hope everyone enjoyed their New Year's Eve celebrations! Mine involved a surprise kidnapping from my boyfriend, which lead to a 24 hour snuggle-fest which lead to this chapter not getting done until yesterday. So.... blame him for it not getting up until today!**

**As always, thanks to chisaii-kitty for being my kick-ass beta. **

**Disclaimer: Blah blah blah**

Finish this bitch. Those were Pam's exact words to him and that's what he was trying to do. Trying in vain, apparently. His deadline was looming, twenty-four hours away. He needed to write the ending and knew that it needed to be explosive. He had gotten past the point where Danger figured out that Susannah was the killer; now it was time for justice. His dilemma of the day was Susannah's fate. He was faced with three options; one path let Susannah get away, the other got her arrested, and the last got her killed.

He honestly didn't want to kill her off. He tended to visualize his writing and couldn't bear to picture Sookie dead. That still left him with two options. Could Danger really let a cold blooded killer get away? He loved her and it could be plausible to send her off somewhere to avoid capture. The lawman in him would never let that stand, she had to see her day in court for justice to be served.

_If only there was a beautiful goddess who inspired me. A muse I haven't seen in two whole days._

He flipped open his phone, sending Sookie a text message: **Have a moment to indulge your favorite author/boyfriend?**

He laid his phone down on the desk to continue his internal debate on the last chapter. Send her away or send her to jail? He closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the cool leather of his chair. The vibration of the phone against the desk pulled him back. **At Merlotte's. Slow night, what's up?**

He wondered what exactly he should ask her. He could flat out ask her to decide Susannah's fate or ask for something more. **Need to step away from my writing. Come over tonight. I need my muse.**

He knew distancing himself from the computer would do wonders for the creative juices. Leaving the study would be a good idea in general as it was something he hadn't done in since Sookie last visited the other night. She had lured him away from his computer with a tantalizing dinner she was preparing and the promises of a proper romp. She worked hard to make sure he didn't leave the bed that night. In fact, when he sat down at his computer the next morning, he felt refreshed and refocused on his work. He looked at his phone willing it to ring with Sookie's next text.

_Ring, dammit ring, you useless piece of technology, let Sookie's message come through!_

It was the front door opening and closing that sent a jolt through him. He was so focused on his phone he was completely unaware of everything else around him.

"Hello?"

"Someone breaks into your apartment and all you can say is 'hello'?"

"It's not exactly breaking in when I was the one to give you the key, Sookie."

She popped into his study, still in her uniform. She pushed his chair away from the desk, curling up in his lap. "Technically Victor the security guard gave me the key. You just never asked for it back. Someone smells and I can't tell if it's you or me. Join me in the shower and then we'll talk about whatever it is that you needed to hash out."

She was about to jump out of the chair, but he held her hips firmly in place. She braced her hands around his neck, catching the lust filled look in his eyes. He trailed a hand up her body, letting it tangle in her hair, pulling her lips to his. He devoured them, kissing her, pressing her body as close to his as possible. He kissed along her jaw, nipping and biting her neck with the same passion he gave her lips. As he ripped her shirt and bra from her body, she started to laugh.

"Doesn't look like we're making it to the shower. Not that I'm complaining, mind you."

He gave her an amused smile before bringing her up on her knees, placing her perfect breasts in level with his mouth. He licked his lips with a hunger that belonged to a man who had not eaten in weeks. He circled one nipple with his tongue, toying and teasing it before it turned to gentle nips and bites, showing the same attention to the other with his fingers. She moaned, barely able to say, "Definitely not making it to the shower."

"I've been writing sex scenes since yesterday. I wanted to call you last night but it was so late by the time I pulled myself away from my desk, I didn't want to wake you. Needless to say, I've got a little pent up energy to burn."

He switched his attentions back to her neck, his personal favorite place to taste her. His hands worked their way down her ribs, enjoying the shudder it caused, settling on the buttons of her black jeans. He worked them open as she pulled his shirt over his head. She sat back down in his lap, grinding against him with vigor. "Burn away."

She slid off the chair, just long enough to work the pants down her legs, as he did the same. Climbing back into his lap, she took his member in her hands, lining it up with her wet opening. He stilled her movements, rasping out, "No condom?"

"I've been on the pill for weeks now. I'm clean and in the past ten years you've had sex with two people. No need. Is that okay?"

He pulled her down, thrusting, filling her in one fluid motion as his answer. She screamed out at the sensation, wrapping her arms tight around him, burying her face in his shoulder. She was trembling in his arms, her breathing erratic. He pulled her face back from his body, it was a mask of ecstasy while his was one of pure terror. "Are you alright, I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Hurt me? Eric, I came with one stroke. I'm far from pain right now."

He began to move within her best he could from his seated position, leaving most of the movement to her. She rocked her hips, using her legs to piston herself up and down, her hands against his shoulders as leverage. He was on fire for her, their bodies were joined with no barrier for the first time and he was beyond bliss. He couldn't take this passive position anymore and rose, slamming the door shut, bracing her back against it as he pounded into her. She wrapped her legs tight around his waist, calling his name out as a second orgasm took her. The sound of his name on her lips, the pleasure in her voice, her muscles contracting all around him broke the gate that held him back. He increased his speed and force, letting his own release wash over him.

He fell back into his chair, still clutching her to his body. The force of their collapse rolling his office chair across the room, slamming it against the far wall. When she finally managed to stand, she surveyed the damage. Several frames had fallen from the walls from the force of their coupling.

"Looks like I owe you a few new picture frames. And you owe me a shower. Let's go." She tried to pull him from the chair and he caved to her desires, following her out of the room, careful to avoid the broken glass.

After using every drop of hot water in the entire apartment building, they were laying in bed, curled up in each other's arms. She was resting against his chest, playing with the soft blond hair that covered it as he ran his hands through her slowly drying hair. They were both beyond relaxed after their time in the study and second round in the shower.

"What did you want to talk to me about? You know, the actual reason I came over."

"I'm having trouble deciding how I want to end the book. Danger knows about Susannah's past, and how she's been using him, but what should he do about it?"

She looked up at him, confusion in her eyes. "Danger wouldn't hurt her. He loves her too much."

"I've come to that conclusion, too. But should he help her escape the law, or hand her over to the police?"

"If he lets her get away, that opens up another book with her as the killer. You know that she wouldn't mend her ways just because one detective figured her out. She'd keep using rich guys and killing them when she got bored. Getting him back on her trail would be an interesting read."

"Point, but would someone like Danger really let a person as dangerous as Susannah get away? Would he be able to live with that decision?"

"Would he be able to handle knowing he sent someone he loves to jail?"

He ran a hand through his hair, something he did whenever he was frustrated. She grabbed his hands so he wouldn't start pulling his hair out and kissed all his fingers in turn. "Why don't you sleep on it? Make a decision in the morning."

"Sounds good to me. Spend the night?"

"Good luck kicking me out of this bed. Good night, Eric, I love you."

He placed a sweet kiss to her lips and another to the tip of her nose. "I love you, too. Sweet dreams."

When Sookie woke the next morning, she reached behind her groping for Eric. She instead found a furrier cuddling partner, a still-sleeping Clancy. She left the bedroom, stopping in the kitchen to pour two mugs of coffee that she assumed Eric had brewed when he woke up. As she paused, she heard his fingers flying furiously over the keys. She knew he had figured it all out, happy that she could steer him in the right direction.

She peaked around the door frame, stealing a glance of him working. She was glad to see he had cleaned the glass from the broken frames so they could safely walk through barefoot. She placed the fresh mug down beside his keyboard. He stopped typing to look up at her smiling. "It all came to me last night. I don't remember the entire dream, but I can clearly see Danger standing at a train station as the train pulls away. Obviously, this means she gets away. Want to read it?"

She pulled his chair away, curling up in his lap, sipping her coffee. "Not awake yet, read it to me?"

He scrolled up the page, placing a kiss to the top of her head.

* * *

Danger drove through the empty early morning streets, the only sound filling the car being Susannah's sobs.

"You're turning me in, aren't you? You'll leave me to rot in jail for the rest of my life. Those men deserved to die, Alex, don't you dare tell me otherwise. They took advantage of me, I killed evil men!"

"You've said enough, just shut up for the rest of the drive. I don't want to hear another word out of your mouth."

That effectively stopped her talking; she was even afraid to cry. He focused his eyes on the road ahead of him, not daring to look at the woman who, just the previous night, he opened his heart to, declaring his undying love. As they left the tall buildings of the city, the view turned to trees and open fields.

"Where are we going?"

"I asked you to stay quiet. Don't make me change my mind."

"Alex, I love you. I said it last night, and I meant it. I never meant to hurt you."

"No, you just planted evidence to lead to a false arrest of an innocent man. I turned over an innocent man to the cops while you ran around town killing people, using me as an alibi. But none of that was supposed to hurt me. I was a convenient boyfriend; a warm bed and a good fuck. I've had enough of you and your lies. Let them be someone else's problem."

With that he pulled into an old station where the train was waiting, billowing smoke high into the sky. He left the car, slamming the door hard behind him, causing a still shaky Susannah to jump. He returned a few moments later, opened her door and thrust the ticket at her.

"One way to California, I want you as far from me as humanly possible. Your trunk's in the back. Get out."

Always a gentleman, he carried her things to the train, handing them off to one of the attendants. She stopped him with one hand to his elbow. Standing in front of him, she rose to her toes, placing a delicate kiss to his unyielding lips.

"Something to remember me by. I'll change, I'll be the woman you want me to be. Maybe someday we could be together again."

"Take another life, and the last thing you'll see is the muzzle of my gun."

She looked down, avoiding his eyes. "Goodbye." She turned and walked away, boarding the train without looking back at him. The train left the station, blowing its whistle for all to hear. The gust of wind whipped his long trench around him as he watched his most recent disaster walk away forever. She found an empty space on the train, taking a seat beside a young man in a fine tailored suit, introducing herself with a sly smile. Some promises were meant to be broken.

* * *

He looked down at his lap to be sure his girlfriend hadn't fallen back asleep. She looked up at him with wide eyes.

"That's it."

"That's perfect! So glad you didn't kill her off, she's going to be fun to take out to play with later."

"I finished reading it over and adding last minute tweaks as you walked in, I'm really happy with the way everything turned out. I think this is the best piece I've ever written. Hopefully the rest of the world thinks so."

"Your fans will love it. It's classic Danger; being ballsy, getting the girl, solving the crime... and a completely different ending from the first three books. Not every detective book should end with the bad guy going to jail or dying. It's a surprise ending."

"I'm glad you liked it. It's on its way to Pam as we speak. Hopefully she likes it as much as you did. Now, how do you suggest we spend the rest of the afternoon?"

She looked up at his predatory gaze, jumped out of his lap and ran into the bedroom, with him hot on her heels.

**A/N2: Hokay, I probably should have said this earlier but, I'm not in the book publishing/moving making world. I know these things don't happen overnight and it can take many months for them to come out to the public. However, this is fanfiction, not the real world, so I can make it happen WAY faster. **

**Head's up, there are only a few chapters left to this story, I know, that's awful. But I have a sequel in mind, as well as a vampire story lined up so expect more from me in the near future.**

**Send some feedback my way, reviews are the best drug in the world!**


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N: Hm... a fairly quick update compared to my past few. Yay inspiration!! Generally I have a bunch to blab about up here....but now, not so much. Enjoy the chapter!**

**Muchas gracias chisaii-kitty!**

**Disclaimer: I own Alexander Danger and his misadventures. However, I do not own any part of SVM, True Blood, The Today Show or The View, or the New York Times.**

The cab pulled up in front of The Strip House, a classic New York steakhouse, where Sookie and Eric exited, pulling their coats tighter around them. It was March and winter still had a firm grip, refusing to let the warm air in. They stepped through the doors, alerting the hostess that they were part of the Northman party. She led them through the plush interior to a table near the back where Pam was already waiting with their mystery guest. As Sookie neared the table, she caught a glimpse of who they would be eating with. She grabbed Eric's arm, stopping him in his tracks.

"Eric, do you know who that is?"

"That's Stan Davis; he's the actor who plays Danger in the films."

"I know who he is! Why is he eating dinner with us?"

"Well, they just finished shooting _The Danger You Know _and he had some time before he started his next project. That's all Pam told me."

They approached the table, exchanging greetings and introductions. Sookie was shy at first, but Stan's Southern charm quickly endeared him. They shared stories of being raised in the South, comparing the similarities and differences of a small town like Bon Temps and a big city like Dallas. Conversation flowed easily among the group and soon dinner was nearing its end. A guilty expression soon crossed Pam's face.

"So I suppose I should reveal why I wanted you and Sookie to come to dinner with us. Stan, do you want to do the honors?"

"Sure thing. I've got this gap in my schedule, considering I won't be starting my next film until this summer. When Pam visited the set last month, she told me about this murder mystery night that's in the works for the release. We thought it would be a great way to promote the movie and book at the same time if I pick up my role as Danger for the dinner. She also might have mentioned it would be the only way I'd get an advanced copy of the book and I knew my wife would kill me if I turned that down."

Sookie let out an audible gasp, drawing everyone's attention to her. She blushed a deep red before stammering out, "Oh my God, I'm your Susannah!"

"Well, Sookie, it'll be a pleasure to work with you. From what Pam's told me, the rest of the roles are being filled by the actors from the theater group that puts on the dinners. It'll be nice to have someone else who's worked so closely with the source material on the project. Is it going to follow the plot exactly or are they going in a different direction?"

Eric fielded the question, all things considered. "I've written out a story that follows the plot closely, but also incorporates some fan favorite characters from the other books. It has to take place in one night, so it highlights my favorite aspects of the work. Obviously, all the interactions are going to be improvised with the guests but each character has their own necessary secrets to reveal to everyone as the night goes on."

"Great! I look forward to hearing from you or the theater group once everything gets hashed out. I'm sorry to jet on you like this, but I've got a flight back to Texas to catch. Sookie, it was nice to meet you. Pam, Eric, good to see you again."

He rose from the table, hugging the ladies goodbye and offering Eric a hand shake.

Pam was all smiles until he left her line of sight, then she was back to business. "Now that Hollywood's gone, we've got press tomorrow. Book release is in a month, and the movie comes out two weeks after that. You ready for tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow is the Today Show right?"

"You'll be on Today in the eight o'clock hour and The View airs at eleven, calls at ten. You need to be on set for hair and makeup by six and you'll have to book it to the next studio right after your segment."

"The View? You didn't mention I'd be on that squawk fest too. Do you hate me that much?"

"You have a mostly female fan base, as to do they. It's your target audience. Get over it. Speaking of getting over it, you know both shows are going to tackle the past few years. They're going to ask you about Felicia. Are you going to be okay?"

He reflected for a moment, feeling Sookie's hand wrap around his and squeeze. He looked to her, seeing the support in her eyes. He responded without looking away, "I'll be fine. You'll be with me, right?"

Both women answered in unison, "Of course."

* * *

It was 6:30 a.m. and a nervous Eric was sitting in the makeup room of the Today Show. The young lady currently doing his makeup was rambling on about her love for everything he's done. He was completely oblivious to her; he was focusing on the soothing circles Sookie was tracing into his palm. He never liked doing the press rounds, but it was a necessity of his business. His anxiety levels were higher than anything he's felt since he started dating Sookie.

Pam entered the room, shutting up the girl with one well placed glare. She turned her focus to Eric, noting the appreciative look on his face. "You'll be chatting with the new girl, Holly Cleary. Apparently she's in charge of the book talks now. When you're done here, we're going down to the greenroom, where one of the producers will come and give you the rundown of what you two will talk about."

"He's all done here, Ms. Ravenscroft. You can head down now. Amanda will be with you in a minute." The poor girl said her whole speech in one terrified breath, looking at her shoes. Pam grabbed his hand, pulling him down the hallway, leading him to the greenroom where they would wait for their segment. They helped themselves to the food, chatting with the other guests from the day's show.

Soon enough, a woman came through the door, armed with a clipboard and headset. This clearly was Amanda, the producer. She introduced herself, taking a seat next to Eric to get to business. She explained that it was a general author interview, and gave a general outline of the questions that Holly would be asking. She made notes of possible anecdotes that the hostess could cue based on what he was telling her.

"We want to delve into your absence from the scene for the past few years, but know it's because you lost your wife. Would you be okay with that coming up? If not we could skim right past it."

"I'd rather not linger there, but I don't mind giving an explanation as to why I've been gone."

"By the death grip you've got on this young lady's hand I'm going to venture a guess at new girlfriend. Can we talk about her?"

He looked over at Sookie, taking her affirmative nod into consideration. "Yes, this is my girlfriend, Sookie Stackhouse. She inspired the book so I suppose she'll come up in conversation."

"Oh that's great stuff! The fans will really eat that kind of stuff up!" She made fast notes on the clipboard. "Your segment's coming up in thirty minutes. Someone will be by in fifteen to bring you to set. Any other questions?"

As he declined, she moved on to the next guest, asking the same general questions. Eric looked over to Sookie, who was cuddled into his side, and then Pam who was completely ignoring them both in favor of her BlackBerry.

"Is this too early for you, Sookie? I don't think I've ever seen you functioning at this hour before."

"Well, I'm not doing much in terms of functioning. I'm just emotional support. I don't think I could form sentences for an interview like you'll have to."

"I try not to think about it. Just answer honestly and from the heart. I don't want to say anything stupid. How do I look? Am I camera ready?"

She looked him over from head to toe slowly, taking him in completely. He was wearing the slim black Armani suit he bought when they first started dating with the red tie she got him for New Years and a matching pocket square he had purchased. "Do you want the simple answer or the dirty answer?"

"Keep it simple, last thing I need is to be hard on national television."

"You look perfectly amazing."

He leaned in, giving her a sweet kiss on the lips. The page came in a few minutes later to escort them to the set. It was simple, two chairs framing a television monitor that displayed his name as well as the cover art for the book. He removed his jacket so they could attach the microphone to his shirt. He had just sat down, trying to find a comfortable position in the chair while Sookie rubbed his shoulders.

Holly joined them a short while later, giving him the same general rundown Amanda had in the green room. She was young and sweet, with a bright smile perfect for morning television. Another producer let them know they only had two minutes before going live. Pam and Sookie cleared the set while makeup came in to perform the final touch ups.

"Good morning and welcome back to the Today Show. We're being joined today by an author whose first three books spent a combined two hundred fifty weeks on the New York Times' Best Sellers' List. Early next month, the fourth in his Alexander Danger series, _Danger is a Dame_, will be released and is already the number one pre-seller with both Amazon and Barnes and Nobles. Please welcome Eric Northman. Eric, it's great having you here today."

"It's a pleasure to be here, Holly, thanks for the glowing introduction."

"Your fans have missed you the past few years. We haven't gotten a new book, but were able to enjoy the movie adaptation of the first in the series. If you don't mind my asking, what have you been up to?"

"Well, around the time I was writing the last book, my wife passed away suddenly as a result of a drunk driving accident. It really sent me into an emotional tailspin. I wasn't able to get out of bed, let alone write. But the past few months, I've started to get my life back on track. I met an amazing woman who inspired me to get back to work. She's helped me so much; I couldn't have done this without her."

"My producer tells me that she's the inspiration behind the new leading lady. Why don't you fill us in on what's happening in this new installment?"

"Danger turned to the bottle to help him deal with his own bad luck, and one night in a jazz club he hears an angel singing his favorite songs. He falls head over heels for her. At the same time, he gets assigned a new case involving a serial killer. That's all I can say without giving too much away. It focuses on Danger rebuilding his life after losing a great love."

"So a case of art imitating life?"

"Precisely."

"Now your message boards are raving about the release of your first book in three years as well as a sequel to the box office hit. What do you have to say about the support from your fans?"

"Oh, without a shadow of a doubt, I couldn't have done this without my fans. They mean the world to me. Pam, my editor and best friend, would deliver bags of fan mail and printouts from the internet with words of support, love and praise. I'm honored that they stood by me for so long, and am thankful that they're still here and still excited."

"I understand you have something special planned to thank them?"

"That's right. They have a tremendously creative group at ACE Publishing and one of the new members of the advertising team came up with a murder mystery themed dinner. I've written a storyline that shadows the new book. And Pam just gave me the go ahead to reveal that the role of Alexander Danger would be played by none other than the star of the film adaptations, Stan Davis. Really, there's no one more qualified."

"That sounds so exciting! How can fans get tickets to the dinner? And by fans I mean news reporters."

They shared a forced laugh at her joke. "Well, they can enter a raffle on my website. Fifty fans will be selected at random and receive two tickets. The book is coming out April 6th, and the dinner will be April 4th. Those who get tickets will also be able to purchase the book early that night, and I will be available for autographs."

"I hope your website's servers are able to handle the mass of people heading there right now. You'll also be signing autographs on release day, right?"

"Yes, at the Barnes and Nobles on Fifth Avenue."

"Well, that's all the time we have for today. I want to thank our guest, Eric Northman, for coming out. Good luck with the new book, and new movie."

"Thanks, Holly, it was my pleasure."

"When we come back, how many calories is your dog consuming every day? We're talking with a canine food expert to get the low down."

The producer signaled the cameras were off. Holly shook Eric's hand, thanking him again for coming. Pam walked on set, handing the young brunette two tickets to the dinner with a wink. She wrapped Pam in a hug before running off to prepare for her next segment. Sookie had run over, wrapping Eric in a big hug and then slapped Pam on the arm.

"You're a shameless flirt! How do you know if she's even gay?"

"You don't have to be gay to have fun, Sookie. She's cute. Now come on you two, we're heading to the View!"

Eric groaned, running his hand down his face, grimacing at the makeup now covering his hand. "I hate this stuff. This is the last interview today right?"

Pam answered as she ushered them towards the town car. "Wrong, you have a phone interview with the New York Times at two and an online chat on your website at eight."

"You just love telling me about these things ahead of time don't you?"

"What matters is that one of us knows what's going on. I don't need you worrying your pretty little head over silly interviews. Shut up, we've got ten minutes before we're at the next studio. I don't want it spent with you complaining."

He gave her a wicked grin, pulling Sookie into his lap for an impromptu make out session. She giggled and pretended to fight against him while Pam groaned. "Ugh, I didn't mean to fill it with something else. What did I do to deserve friends like you?"

* * *

Later that evening, Eric was lying in bed while Sookie was rubbing his shoulders, sans massage oil. The two aspirin were working wonders on his headache, while Sookie's amazing hands finished the rest. Between the two live interviews, the one over the phone and the live chat with his fans, he was physically, emotionally and mentally spent. He didn't have much practice talking about the difficult time he had the past few years outside of his conversations with Sookie.

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm thanking whoever invented aspirin and whichever god gave you those hands. I went from zero to ten after that massage."

"Besides that. Your face was screwed up tight, like you were deep in thought."

He paused for a minute, trying to formulate an answer. He turned over to his back so she was straddling his waist. "I'm just thinking about how grateful I am to have you in my life. I couldn't have done any of this without you."

"Duh, you would have never created Susannah without stalking me on the treadmill."

"I'm serious, Sookie. You changed my life."

She shifted, curling on her side while he turned to his to face her. He took her hands in his, kissing her knuckles, noting how they were warmed with the friction of his massage. "I know, and you should know that you changed mine. I was giving up on love after such epic failures like Bill and Quinn. You pulled me out of my shell just as much as I pulled you from yours."

"Do you realize you've slept here more nights than you did in your own apartment?"

"Yeah, last time I went back home I noticed I have more clothes in your closet than in my own."

"Why don't we make it official? Sookie, would you like to move in with me?"

"Are you serious?"

"Of course. We spend most of our time together anyway. I would love to spend all my time with you. I'd love for you to live here."

"I would love to, but what about Amelia? I can't just abandon her to cover the entire rent on her own. I need to talk to her before I make a decision. I'm sorry."

He pulled her in closer, wrapping his arms tightly around her, placing a soft kiss on her lips. "I think it's a testament to your character that you would put your friend's concerns over your own happiness. I'll wait for your answer, as long as you keep staying here until you make your final decision."

"You couldn't kick me out if you tried."

With that, he turned out the lights and the two lovers drifted to sleep wrapped in each other's arms.

* * *

Eric had just finished a walk with Clancy, rounding the corner with his furry companion, approaching his building. An interesting sight greeted him coming from the opposite direction. Sookie, Amelia and Tray were walking down the block, each carrying an armful of boxes. He ran over to them, helping a struggling Amelia with her share.

"What are you guys doing?"

"I'm moving in!" He nearly dropped the boxes at Sookie's exclamation in his desire to pull her in for a kiss.

They made their way into his apartment, putting down the heavy load. Sookie gave Eric what he wanted, throwing herself into his arms for a searing kiss that left her breathless. Amelia took it upon herself to explain.

"Tray and I wanted to move in together for a while, but he felt weird living there with Sookie. When she came to talk to me about moving here, I helped her pack the rest of her crap and got her ass out!"

"Which is why Pam was being so flirty with everything with a vagina! She and Amelia had stopped seeing each other when things got serious with Tray," Sookie chimed in. "We've got everything packed into Tray's truck. Could you come help with the rest?"

Two more trips back and forth and everything was sitting in Eric's living room getting a full examination by Clancy. They were sitting, resting, and sharing a glass of iced tea. Amelia gave Tray a slap on the leg, trying to snap him back to reality. "We should head out. We need to pack up your apartment next and let these two lovebirds settle in."

Amelia pulled Sookie in for a tight hug before she left with Tray. They left, leaving Eric and Sookie alone with the rest of her life packed tightly away in boxes. She lounged comfortably in his arms, taking in the apartment with new eyes. It might be her new address now, but over the last few months, this place had certainly become her home. Eric kissed the top of her head, tilting her back to look in her eyes, "Welcome home, Sookie."

**A/N2: AW! I love the warm and fuzzies!! And now, a word from the lovely :**

**Attn: SVM readers and writers! SVM Teaser Mondays is still going strong! Get a sneak peak at what is coming up on your favorite fics! Any SVM writer can post a teaser! Subscribe to the thread here (remove spaces): http: // forum. fanfiction. net/ topic/ 55534/19191439/1/**

**Check out the forums!!! I post every Monday as do many of my favorite authors. **

**Stay tuned for the next chapter where we join our friends at an exciting murder mystery night. Who's gunna die....and who's the killer? Only I know!! *evil laughter* Review please! Last chapter was the most reviewed chapter to date, let's see if you can beat it!**


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Well hello there. I've let a week go by without an update so accept this chapter with my humblest apologies. I wrote the first portion of the chapter, then got stuck with writer's block and a busy couple of days. **

**Two sets of thanks this week. The first going to my awesome beta, chisaii-kitty, and the second going to TekniCAL for sharing a hilarious story with me over PM. She's taken a note from Sookie and found an awesome way to meet guys at the gym: sing along with your iPod. All you single ladies take notes!! As a sign of thanks, I'll pimp her story Best Laid Plans, which is one of my favorites on the site. Go check it out: she just updated today!!**

**Disclaimer: Alexander Danger and his story line is mine, but everything else belongs to Charlaine Harris and Alan Ball.**

The sun was just starting to peek through the curtains and Eric's body was slowing waking up. He was slowly stretching his limbs, letting his senses restore on their own. This morning was different from any other, a point made abundantly clear by the soft sensations traveling up and down his spine. He could feel the soft, warm breath on his neck which was replaced by equally soft, warm kisses. He finally regained his voice after clearing his throat of the dryness that had accumulated during the night.

"What are you doing up so early?"

"I've got to be by the restaurant by noon, so I wanted to get an early start."

"Why?"

"Rehearsal, plus I need like an hour to shimmy into the scrap of fabric they're calling a dress."

"I'm sure you'll be gorgeous."

"Oh, it's a knockout, but it leaves nothing to the imagination."

"I've got an overactive imagination, don't worry."

The hand that was running along his back was making its way to his hip and down his thigh. As she dragged it back up from his knee, she wrapped her hand around his cock and began to stroke lightly.

"Why imagine when you have the real thing?"

He turned, careful to stay in her embrace, capturing her lips in a kiss. Both had learned to ignore the other's morning breath, to their shared benefit. Her grip tightened, and she was rewarded when he moaned into her mouth. She pushed him down onto his back, straddling his waist. Her kisses moved to his neck, nipping at the sensitive skin, while she ground her core onto his erection. Since the beginning of their relationship, she had always been bold when there was something she wanted, and this morning was no different. She kissed him again, as she maneuvered her hips, expertly guiding his hard length inside of her.

He braced his hands on her hips, rolling Sookie over so she was on her back with him braced above her. Her hands found his ass, gaining a firm grip in an attempt to pull him deeper inside her. Their bodies had perfect knowledge of each other; where to touch, where to bite, what places would bring the utmost pleasure to both partners.

The sounds of their coupling filled the room, moaning turning into pleading for release. As soon as his thumb connected to her bundle of nerves, her eyes shot open and her body tensed around him as her orgasm washed over her. She tightened around him, bringing him to his own release. They lay in each other's arms, panting and riding out the aftershocks. He was kissing along the side of her neck, not wanting to disconnect from their current position. Climbing out of bed meant facing the day, a day he would not be able to spend with Sookie. He greedily stole every moment he could of their morning coupling.

With a sigh, she tried to move out of his grasp. "We need to get out of bed. We need to shower and have breakfast. Plus, Clancy will want to be going out soon."

"Nope. You're not leaving this bed until the last possible minute."

"You won't get any complaints out of me. I don't really need that extra work out after that."

"Besides, you're the author's girlfriend. No one will bother you about being late. Now what was that about a shower?"

* * *

The butterflies swarming Eric's stomach couldn't make him feel any worse. He knew Sookie was with the theater group at the restaurant setting up and running over the details, but he desperately wanted her with him. She had become his security blanket, making him feel better simply with her presence. She had been texting him during the afternoon, dropping little hints about the plot changes that had occurred and a picture of Stan dressed in his trench coat. He asked for one of her in costume, but she refused.

Adding to his anxiety were those pesky changes the director insisted on making. Felipe had called him at least a dozen times in the past week, insisting that he knew what was best for the murder mystery night. Since Eric had never put one on before, let alone write the plot for one, he trusted Felipe to make the right calls. He fought hard for the original ending he had planned, but was vetoed in the end by the pushy director. To make matters worse, no one would tell him the new ending. Sookie had calmed his nerves, revealing that she knew who the new killer was and that it would make for an excellent surprise.

He had finished getting dressed, stashing a few extra of his favorite gel pens in his pocket for the countless autographs he would be signing that night. He double checked his hair just in time to hear his phone ringing, alerting him to meet Pam downstairs.

Twenty minutes later, they were approaching the rented restaurant, a new favorite specializing in classic American cuisine. Fans were encouraged to dress in their vintage finest to help set the mood. Eric was wearing a classic black tuxedo; while Pam wore a 1950's inspired dress with a tight fitting bust and full skirt. The pair walked in arm in arm, greeted by one of the hostesses for the evening. The poor girl didn't know what hit her when Amelia knocked her out of the way to seat her friends personally. Eric noticed the name tag discretely placed on her dress.

"Hey kids, name's Faye and I'll be seating ya tonight. You got a reservation?"

Eric rolled his eyes, but Amelia was insistent on staying in character. She waited with a hand on her hip, a bored look on her face. He finally relented, "Party of two, under Eric Northman."

"You mean the big time author, Eric Northman? Oh right this way, we've got the best seat in the house reserved for ya." As she led him through the tables, she would tap patrons on the shoulder, pointing him out. He would wave, shaking hands with fans that stopped him, taking the time to greet anyone who wanted him. He knew who made his career what it was.

He took in the room, noticing how it looked identical to his vision of the jazz club. The hundred lucky fans that had won tickets were seated in tables of ten with a few additional tables reserved for VIPs; those Pam or the publishing house had personally invited. Characters were distinguished with the same name tag that Amelia wore and were circling the room, mingling with the fans. Eric noticed Stan and offered a wave from the other side of the restaurant. Stan, in return, tipped his hat.

They finally reached the table, and Eric smiled at the familiar faces. Tray, Jason, Crystal, Hoyt, Jessica, and Alcide with his wife Debbie, with another woman he didn't recognize all stood to greet the two newest arrivals. The odd woman out turned out to be Isabel Davis, Stan's wife in from Texas. After everyone settled down again, there was still an empty seat.

"Are we still waiting for one more?" Eric asked.

Hoyt handed him the place card for the empty seat and it read "Guest of Honor."

"There's an empty seat at every table. The characters come around all night and sit down to talk to you. They fill you in, while giving a chance to ask questions and get clues to the murder."

Within minutes of the first course being brought out, the lights dimmed and Stan took the stage. He was met with immediate applause, smiling and waiting for the noise to die down before he began. "Hey everyone and welcome to the launch party for _Danger is a Dame._ Most of you know me as Alexander Danger in the movies and it's my pleasure to reprise my role tonight. Things might get a little dangerous here tonight, so keep your eyes and ears open. Are you ready to get started?"

The crowd erupted with applause again while Stan placed his trademark hat upon his head and left the stage. He was soon replaced with another actor.

"Good evening ladies and gents and welcome to my humble little club. I'm your host for the evening, Bobby Burnham. We've got some of the best jazz singers in town here for you tonight. Let's get started with our newest addition, and my new bride, Mrs. Susannah Burnham."

The red curtains parted and a lone spotlight shone down on the stunning blonde gracing center stage. It took Eric a full minute to realize it was Sookie. Her hair cascaded to her shoulders in soft curls, perfectly framing her face, highlighted with bright red lips and dark smoky eyes. She appeared to have taken Jessica Rabbit's evening gown. The bright red, floor length, strapless gown hugged every curve and was covered in sequins to catch the light. As she walked towards the microphone, her hip high slit revealed her perfectly toned legs.

She looked behind her to signal the band and she wrapped her hands around the microphone, caressing it like a lover. She began to sing, and everything else just began to fade away for Eric. It felt as if they were the last two people alive, and her words were the air he needed to breathe. She sang three songs before taking a bow and seductively walking off stage to a waiting Bobby. He took her arm, parading her around the floor. He couldn't hear what she was saying over the din of the crowd, but the smile on her face was all he needed to know she was fine. She began to laugh, tossing her hair back, her face the picture of happiness.

Pam elbowed him in the ribs to snap him out of his reverie. He jumped as he was brought back to reality and finally noticed the waitress who was waiting to take his dinner order. Looking around the table, he could see that all their friends had the same expression on their face; shock. They had never imagined Sookie acting like this.

Their first guest of honor was the club's manager, Sandy Sechrest. She held a fake cigarette between her teeth and adjusted her hat before taking a seat. She was talking with everyone at the table, revealing that the new Mrs. Burnham wasn't as sweet as she appeared. The entire staff was suspicious of her intentions with their favorite boss. He had gone on vacation to Louisiana a single man, but came home married.

Eric tried to listen to Sandy, but realized everything she was saying had been spared from Felipe's cuts and therefore came from his own writing. His eyes darted around the room trying to locate Sookie when he caught a red shimmer approaching their table. Bobby chased Sandy off, telling her to get back to work. He held out the chair for his Susannah, a seat she took happily. He walked away, telling her to be on best behavior at the VIP table.

She was reciting her lines, describing life back in Louisiana and how this was her first marriage but not first engagement. Seems the men in her life keep disappearing. As she spoke, Eric watched her lips, but barely heard her words. The bright red lipstick was entirely out of the ordinary for Sookie, but he forced himself to remember that tonight she was Susannah. She spoke with the entire force of her Southern charm, staying in character as she ignored the fact that she knew most of the people at the table for many years, if not her entire life. She rose to move on to the next table, flashing Eric a wink as she walked away.

Pam nudged him in the ribs again to get his attention. "Maybe you should make the rounds to a few tables since we're in between courses. Take a few pictures, thank your fans for coming out tonight, kiss some ass, you know the drill."

He took her advice, going to tables where the guest of honor seat was empty. He didn't want to detract at all from the building storyline. By the third table, he felt a pair of small hands caress his shoulders, sliding down his chest. He turned, to see Sookie standing behind him.

"Oh, Mr. Northman, I'm such a big fan of your books. Would you mind coming to the back office to sign a copy for me? Bobby keeps them on the top shelf, and I can't reach them myself."

He excused himself from the table, where she took his hand, leading him into the back, making sure to catch the eye of many of the guests. When they reached the office, she shut the door and was in his arms before he could take another step. He collapsed on the couch that was in the office, pulling her down with him in a kiss that left them both breathless. She pushed back, forcing herself to stand.

"As much as I'd like to rip your clothes to shreds and jump you right here, right now, Amelia and Bobby are going to be back here in a minute."

"Then lock the door, so they can't get in."

"Tempting, but it's part of the story. So is this." She reached into her clutch, putting on another coat of lipstick and kissing Eric on the neck. She left a deep print that was barely covered by his shirt. As soon as she readjusted his shirt and her dress, Bobby and Amelia came through the door.

Bobby pulled over a chair while Sookie and Amelia took a seat on either side of Eric on the couch. He discretely moved his hands to his lap to hide any sign of his arousal. Last thing he needed was a ribbing from Amelia about what was going on backstage.

Bobby started to explain the next stage of the evening, "Okay, here's the drill. Sook, you go out first, and just get right back into the swing of things like nothing happened. Eric, go back to your table, looking out of it. Most important for the both of you, act cold. Ask people if they're as cold as you are. Amelia, you know what you gotta do right? Good, let's get back to it."

Sookie gave Eric another kiss on the lips, getting back into full Susannah swing. A minute later, Eric took his mark and found his way back to the table. As he took his seat, he pulled his jacket a little closer. "Anybody else cold? I don't remember being this cold before I left. Maybe I'm just hungry."

Jason was staring at him, noticing the red print on his neck. "Did you just nail my sister at your own shindig?" That earned him a dirty look from Crystal.

"What? No, I went back to sign one of my books for _Susannah_."

"Signing the book, is that what they're calling it today?" He was going to continue but Amelia ran out on stage cutting off the band with a shriek.

"Someone call the cops! I just found Mr. Burnham dead in the meat locker!"

Pam laughed, leaning into Eric to whisper in his ear, "I certainly didn't see that one coming." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm, as usual. "I wonder if there's a world class detective in the house who could find the murderer."

Someone must have heard her as Danger climbed on stage to comfort Amelia. "Don't worry folks, we'll figure this one out. I'm a P.I. and I've already sent word to a few buddies on the force. We'll have some uniformed officers here soon, and we'll make rounds questioning everyone. Someone here must have seen something that can crack this case."

They both left the stage as the waiters began coming around to the tables delivering the main course. Conversation picked up with the group of friends swirling conspiracy theories about who could have killed Bobby. Eric smirked as no one in the room, except for a select few, knew anything about the fourth book. He never even leaked details to their close friends. He noticed Isabel give him a knowing wink and he remembered Stan mentioning something about an advanced copy when they met for dinner last month. She mimed that her lips were sealed from across the table.

The guests began to eat while the police officers and Danger interrogated each cast member on stage for the entire room to hear. The list of characters and the main course drew to a close when Sookie was finally called to center stage to answer questions. He paced around her while he interrogated her.

"Mrs. Burnham, your husband's employees have had some awfully condemning things to say about you. The will found in his office was so fresh, the ink was barely dry. It made it very clear that every worldly possession would be left to you, including the club. So you better have an air-tight alibi as to your location when your husband was murdered in the freezer."

"Of course. I was with Eric Northman in Bobby's office. He's my favorite author and he was just signing my book for me. Isn't that right, Eric?"

Her eyes were searching for him in the crowd, and when they locked on he shouted, projecting his voice to fill the restaurant, "That's right. We were talking in the back room."

"I was suggesting to Mr. Northman that he should consider setting his next book in Louisiana and how I'd be more than happy to tell him all about life in my itty bitty town. We just came back to the floor when Faye came out with the terrible news that my Bobby was murdered."

"So you were in the back when it happened? Did you see or hear anything suspicious?"

"No sir, Mr. Danger. Mr. Northman and I were in the back office, that's clear on the opposite side of the restaurant from the kitchen. No chance we could have seen anything."

"That's all the questions I have for you now, Mrs. Burnham. But don't go wandering off." He turned to address the audience. "Folks, you've heard from everybody that works here and you've seen everything that's happened tonight. We're going to need your help in cracking this case. In the center of your table is a pad of paper. Write down your name and who you think killed Bobby Burnham. We'll be around soon to collect everything. In the meantime, just try and enjoy your dessert."

Jason was the first to share his opinion. "I bet it was Sookie, I mean, Susannah. Bet she killed off her other boyfriends, too."

Debbie gave him an incredulous look. "No way, she's way too nice and was on the other side of the restaurant when it happened. It had to be the cook, Bubba. He had motive and was in the kitchen the entire time."

"Nah, it was the hostess, Faye. She's way to chipper to not be a murderer," Tray added with a smile just as Amelia was walking behind him, earning him a slap to the back of the head. "Eric, you want to add anything to the conversation?"

"Honestly, I don't know who did it. The director changed the ending I wrote and wouldn't fill me in. Maybe it was natural causes. The guy was pretty hefty, it could have been a heart attack."

The table dispersed into murmurs while everyone decided who the culprit was, jotting it down on the note paper. As the waitress put down their slice of cake, she collected each slip of paper. Several of the staff members started sorting through all the papers on stage, categorizing them into piles. Amelia came back over, this time holding a folded piece of paper.

"Message just came in for you, Mr. Northman. For your eyes only."

Eric opened the sealed note, smiling as he read the message. His own plan began to form in his mind as he folded the note back up, sliding it into his pocket. He continued to eat, not saying a word of the new information he just gathered to anyone at the table. He wanted them to be as surprised as he was.

**A/N2: Stay tuned for the next installment where we find out who the murderer is. Leave a review and let me know who you think offed poor Bobby Burnham. **

**A few discussion points: **

**(1) SVM readers and writers! SVM Teaser Mondays is still going strong! Get a sneak peak at what is coming up on your favorite fics! Any SVM writer can post a teaser! I post every week. Subscribe to the thread here (remove spaces): http: // forum. fanfiction. net/ topic/ 55534/19191439/1/**

**(2) The Cowboy Up Top 5 have been announced. Go to (again, remove spaces) http:// www . fanfiction . net/u/2114441/ to read the stories. You have until tomorrow night to vote so head on over. There are five amazing, fantastic stories to choose from so good luck choosing! It literally took me five minutes to decide who I wanted to vote for**.


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: For those of you who get alerts, I left out my notes, and for once, I've got something to say. Sorry for the double chapter update.**

**This is the second half of the murder mystery dinner and the second to last chapter. That's right folks, Chapter 20 will be the last for Danger is a Dame. BUT you won't miss me for long as I've already started a new story, What It Means To Forget. It's a what if scenario from Dead to the World where Eric does not regain his memories. Please take a minute to go read it and tell me what you think. The second chapter is already in the works.**

**Thanks to chisaii-kitty for her beta skills. Any mistakes left behind are my own.**

**Disclaimer: Only the cast of Danger is mine. Everything else belongs to Charlaine Harris and Alan Ball.**

Danger took the stage once again, conferencing with the other cast members on the stage about the results of the guests' input. He dramatically looked around the room, letting his gaze fall on Sookie before catching Eric's eye with a knowing smirk on his face.

"Well folks, after going over the evidence, I'm ready to name the murderer. Mrs. Burnham, will you join me on stage?"

She walked across the stage, stopping in front of him, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "What now?"

"Let's just go over the evidence, shall we. Most important is his will leaving everything to you. Second, is this little book you claimed Mr. Northman signed for you backstage." He held it open for the crowd to see. "It's obviously blank, completely voiding your alibi. I don't even want to mention how we found the body with his pants down."

"I already told you, Mr. Danger, I didn't kill my husband."

"Oh, I know. You're no where near strong enough to have taken him down. After the coroner looked over the body, it was determined that cause of death was strangulation. If I may say so, those delicate little hands couldn't hurt a fly, let alone choke a man with a neck as thick as your husband's. You and I both know who did it. I just want to know why."

"I did it for her."

Eric rose from the table as everyone turned to face him. He took in the faces of every guest in the room; their expressions ranged from shock to pride at his omission. He walked to the stage pulling Sookie into an embrace, his hand firm on the small of her back while the other caressed her face.

"I fell in love with her the minute I saw her. We spoke just a few moments, but I could envision the rest of our lives together. She told me she wanted to run away with me, but Bobby would never let her go and she didn't want to bear the mark of a divorced woman. She told me if I could get rid of Bobby, she'd be mine."

He pulled Sookie in for a kiss, but while his eyes were closed, Danger came around and handcuffed him. As Danger dragged him off stage, he looked back to Sookie, "Wait for me?"

She pulled her compact from her clutch, touching up her make up. "In your dreams."

Her smug attitude didn't last for long as two uniformed officers grabbed her, bringing her to Danger. "Did you think you were getting off free? You're an accomplice to murder, sweetheart. You're going away with him."

"You have no proof! I didn't tell him anything! Good luck finding a judge that will make this stick!" She fought against the cops, kicking and lunging at Danger. "I'll kill you if I ever get the chance."

They were both dragged backstage to the applause of the crowd. Pam took the stage, clapping with a satisfied smile on her face. "Well, wasn't that adorable. I'm Pam Ravenscroft of ACE Publishing. I hope you all enjoyed this murder mystery evening. Let me bring out your favorite author, Eric Northman." She paused while he came back on to the stage and the applause started up again. "The dashing Alexander Danger, Stan Davis." Another pause for applause. "And it is my absolute pleasure to introduce the stunning Susannah Burnham, who you'll see in the new book as Susannah Renard, Miss Sookie Stackhouse."

Sookie came out with a huge smile on her face, soaking in the adoration of the crowd. She tucked herself in Eric's side, trying to hide her embarrassment, but he pushed her to stand in front of him. He placed an errant strand of hair behind her ear, leaning down to whisper, "This is your moment, take it all in. You were amazing."

Pam started back on her closing remarks. "Hopefully, you remember that by winning these tickets, you are entitled to an early purchase of Eric's new book. If you give us a few minutes to set up, we'll bring everyone up on stage to get their copy a table at a time. You'll also be able to get it signed and take a picture with Eric. But one lucky guest will win a boxed set of all four books, which of course, will be autographed. The name will be selected from the group that correctly named Eric Northman as our killer this evening."

Bobby Burnham came back on stage with a cloth bag which he was shaking up. Both Stan and Eric deferred the opportunity to select the winner to Sookie who dug around before pulling out a slip of paper. Pam handed her the microphone so she could make the announcement. "The very lucky winner is Halleigh Robinson!"

A shriek came through the crowd, clearly pointing Halleigh out from the other guests. She ran on stage, launching herself into a hug with Eric, placing a kiss on his cheek. Sookie had to restrain herself from clawing out this woman's eyes for touching her man. Adoration was fine, but she wasn't a fan of the kissing. Pam handed her the stack of books, and they all posed for a few pictures.

The rest of the cast came on stage to enjoy their own round of applause. Last on stage was Felipe who announced that the group was available for all sorts of affairs, from weddings to bar mitzvahs. Tucked into each copy of the book was his business card for easy contact.

A few people brought out a table piled high with books. Eric took his place behind it, first signing the books for Halleigh before the first few tables of guests were brought up. He took the time to talk to each and every fan, personalizing every book for its new owner. He posed for every picture, the entire time wearing a smile on his face, an interested look on his face and he listened to every shared story.

With the first few press releases, he despised these meet and greets. He never knew what to say to the fans or how to properly interact with any of them. They acted as if they knew him so intimately, but they were just strangers. After the absence, he found that he missed the interaction, missed being around the fans who loved him so deeply and unconditionally.

What surprised him most was the love being poured out for Sookie. Apparently, people figured out that they were dating. Many were asking for photographs with her, some even asking for her autograph. He was worried how she would react to the fans asking her questions but she took it all in stride. One fan was particularly blunt in his phrasing.

"So what are you exactly? A model, actress, maybe a professional singer?"

"No sir. I'm just a waitress with a great boyfriend."

Eric couldn't hold back his laughter at her response. Even the man's jaw went slack at her comeback. His girlfriend, who presumably dragged him here, looked mortified at his tactless question. Her face darkened several shades of red and was soon buried in her hands.

* * *

Two days later, Eric was sitting through yet another autograph signing, this time at Barnes and Nobles on the release date. When he reached the huge store, he was amazed to see the line wrapped around the block. His jaw hit the floor when he saw the line continued inside, circling the floor several times.

Pam had arrived ahead of time and was practically beaming as she walked with him to a back room until the signing began. "The manager said they haven't seen this type of turn out since the last Harry Potter book. We're talking Twilight numbers here. The fan girls are so happy to have a series to be obsessed with that has a hot male author."

"How did this happen? We always did well with the other books, but this is insane. I've never seen this many people in one place before."

"No offense, hun, but the girls eat up the widower thing. It makes you damaged, someone they can take care of, pulls on that nurturing instinct. Or so I've been told. They fell in love with you, read the old books, and now are out for the newbie."

After he began signing, the rest of the world tuned out. He was focused on the book in front of him, the face of the fan that currently held his gaze. Nearly three hours of signing later, he reached for the book being placed in front of him. Looking to the post-it note that contained the spelling of the next fan's name, his heart fluttered when he saw a very rare name. He looked up to her face, happier than he had been all day.

"What are you doing here? Tell me you didn't wait on that line."

Sookie stood in front of him, wearing a huge smile. "I mark the end of the line! And now I'm taking you out for dinner!"

Pam chimed in, scrolling through the messages on her BlackBerry. "Better make that a celebratory dinner. I'll give you one guess who will be number one on tomorrow's Best Seller's List."

Sookie nearly jumped over the table to hug Eric. Her face was beaming with pride at the huge accomplishment, as was his. "You would think I would be used to hearing that. But some part of me was still worried the fans wouldn't come back after a long gap between books. This is cause for celebration."

With that, they shook hands with the managers of the store, taking a few pictures for their own collection. A few phone calls later, Pam had secured them a table at her favorite sushi restaurant. It was a small place, locals only, very much off the tourist's radar. The three friends sat and ate, Sookie trying in vain to steer Pam's focus off of business matters so they could all just relax.

Pam, of course, ignored Sookie's pleas to go over the travel arrangements for the Los Angeles premiere of _The Danger You Know_. Usually she kept Eric out of the loop for his various signings and appearances, but since he wanted to plan outings with Sookie, she was going over all the details. After promising to send him a schedule when everything was finalized, talk turned to the crazy fans that came out for the signing.

Eric was halfway through telling Sookie about one fan that was insisting he sign her cleavage when he saw Pam's face fall. Seeing such a look of shock on his best friend's normally stoic face sent a pang of fear all the ways to his toes. Hearing her mumble, "Oh shit," didn't do much for his confidence either.

"What is it? Did you forget another appointment?"

"Sophie-Anne and Andre Leclerq just walked in. And now they saw us. Shit, shit, shit! Are you okay with this? I can send them away."

Sookie was filled with nerves at the level of anxiety in Pam's voice. She turned to the entrance to see a young couple whispering back and forth to each other. The husband, she assumed it was Andre, was trying to drag his wife to a table, but she seemed to insist on coming to talk to them.

"Who are these people?"

The color had drained from Eric's face and she was suddenly worried that he might pass out at the table. It was obvious that he wouldn't answer, so Pam did. "That would be Felicia's best friend and her husband. Sophie-Anne was her maid of honor at the wedding. There was a slight altercation after the funeral."

Sookie gave Pam a hard stare at her last statement, but Eric finally found his words. "I shut myself off from the world after she died, you know that. But Sophie was adamant on helping me out. I didn't want her help. Every time I saw her, all I could think about was Felicia. She sent her little lap dog to try and convince me to go out for a beer, but to be honest, I never liked him much even when Felicia was alive. When he tried to drag me out of the house, I hit him."

Pam snorted. "You broke his nose, orbital and jaw. If I hadn't shown up when I did, you would have killed him. That's when I got him Clancy. I figured it was a positive outlet for his energy." She looked over at the petite redhead that was currently standing by their table.

"Hi Pam, Eric. Congrats on the success of the new book."

"Thanks Sophie. Oh, this is Eric's girlfriend, Sookie."

They exchanged pleasantries, Eric not taking his eyes off the table. He was having an internal battle trying to figure out what to do next. He had fully embraced his new life, putting all the hurt of the past in a locked section of his mind. He was determined to start over, leaving the people he knew through Felicia in the past. He was able to talk about his late wife, he had acknowledged in his heart every emotion he felt about the situation.

The truth is, after her death, he shunned all of their mutual friends. He wasn't able to see any of them without thinking about Felicia. He considered all of his new friends, how fulfilled he felt in his life. He had no desire to reach out to his past, but obviously, his past found him. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves, certain he could handle this without falling apart. A few months ago, he would not have been so sure, but with everything that had happened, all of his own personal growth, he knew he could have a conversation with Felicia's best friend.

He finally looked up at her; the pain in her eyes as obvious. "It's been a while, Sophie. I know the last time we spoke, we didn't exactly leave things on good terms."

"You put my husband in the hospital. I consider that pretty bad terms."

He didn't have a response for her. He looked back down at the table. She sighed, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"Eric, I didn't come over here to make you feel bad. I wanted to apologize for the way I handled things after Felicia passed."

"You want to apologize to me? Shouldn't that be the other way around?"

"I couldn't handle my own grief, let alone begin to imagine yours. I couldn't bear for you to be that miserable, so I tried everything to get you back into the swing of things. I shouldn't have forced you to feel things you weren't ready for. I'm sorry."

He ran her words over in his mind. "It's the past. I'm sorry for the way I handled Andre. I know you both only had the best of intentions."

"It's the past," she responded, looking at his face while a smile tried to emerge, but rapidly disappeared. "I miss her everyday. She was a sister to me. I just wanted to tell you that I named our first daughter after her."

"I appreciate that. It was a rough time for me. Thankfully, things are starting to look up." He glanced to his right, where Sookie was sitting silently during their entire exchange. He took her hand in his, squeezing gently.

"You look really happy. It's what she would have wanted, you know, you moving forward."

"I know that now. It was just a hard fact to accept."

"I should be getting back to Andre. It was nice running into you. Congrats again."

She turned and walked away from the table, relaying the encounter to Andre once she reached him. Pam looked over at Eric, amused.

"You handled that pretty well. I guess you are back to your old self again."

"Nope, it's a new self. I'd like to think it's even better than the old self. What's the expression? What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger?" He wrapped his arm around Sookie, placing a kiss to the top of her head.

They settled their tab, and prepared to leave. As they walked to the door, Eric stopped at Sophie-Anne's table to shake Andre's hand and offer an apology. He was able to head home that night with Sookie feeling proud and accomplished, perfectly content to continue the celebration of his success just the two of them.

**A/N2: So basically, everyone who reviewed figured out it was Eric! Congrats!**

**Resolution feels go****od, doesn't it? Next chapter wraps every loose end up, making a nice neat ending. Hopefully the new story helps hold you over until the sequel comes out!**


	20. Chapter 20 The Finale

**A/N: So this is it, huh? Enjoy!**

Eric sat just outside the dressing room of the fourth store, holding Sookie's purse like a nice, obedient boyfriend. Men truly did have it easier. He just opted to wear his black suit again, pairing it with a new white button down and black and white patterned tie and pocket square. He had it sent out to the cleaners once they arrived in Los Angeles since it did not survive the six and a half hour flight from New York wrinkle free.

Now it was just a waiting game. Pam and Sookie were having some serious girl on girl bonding over what style of dress would look best on the premiere's red carpet. Eric looked at Sookie's purse with a critical eye. He wondered why women always insisted on carrying their entire life with them everywhere they went. Even while on vacation, she felt she needed a bag that barely qualified as carry-on luggage. They had left him alone for quite some time at this store. They had found a ton of dresses to try on, so boredom was starting to creep into the corners of Eric's mind.

He weighed the ethics of going through her bag. They were in a committed relationship, free from secrets. It would give him something to do while he sat around. He peaked around the corner of the dressing room door and could overhear they were still in the trying on process, not even at the narrowing down process. He wouldn't get caught, but was it something he should really be doing?

He was letting the clasp roll in his fingers subconsciously when it opened. It took it as a sign from a higher power that it would be alright. He saw a few ordinary objects; her phone, her iPod, a romance novel she was reading. He picked up her digital camera, going through the pictures of their trip. That would occupy him; she had been snapping away the entire week they were in California. Just as he came across the set of shots from their trip to the Getty Museum the battery died.

Putting it back, he pulled out a roll of magazines she had been reading. He unfurled them, immediately tossing aside the gossip rags, coming across one that stopped his heart. It was a catalog for Tiffany's. It was very much out of place for Sookie, she hated when he spent a lot of money on gifts for her. As he opened it, he realized it was a special edition. Every page was filled with different styles of engagement rings or gifts for a newly married couple.

He rolled the stack back up and couldn't shove them all back in the cursed bag fast enough. He even set it down on the chair next to him so he wouldn't have to touch it. Had Sookie been trying to figure out ways to get him to propose? She was probably working with Pam on creating a plan to get him to pop the question. Would she really be so cruel as to ask Pam the best way to manipulate him into getting her way? That was completely out of character for Sookie, but there was no other possible explanation for her possession of the magazine. She would never spend the money to buy something from Tiffany's for herself or a friend, nor would she ask from anything from the popular store.

Pam cleared her throat from the doorway, causing Eric to whip his head around to her direction. He hadn't had a chance to calm his expression and was trying to come up with a good reason why he was having a heart attack in the lobby. Luckily, Pam just thought she scared him or caught him sleeping.

"Come back here, we're down to two dresses and she wants your opinion. Not that you can even dress yourself, let alone have a valid opinion on women's clothing."

He got up, hesitantly grabbing Sookie's purse as to not leave it unattended. Sookie was standing on a platform surrounded by mirrors. He could see her from every angle and she was breathtaking. The dress was strapless, his preferred style of dress as it showed off her ample, perfect cleavage. It barely came down to her knees, the soft fabric floating around Sookie as she turned side to side. It was a deep, rich purple, highlighted by a jeweled band that started on her left shoulder, crossing at her heart and coming down under her right breast, stopping at the seam of the dress.

"Wow." It was all he could say. It was all that needed to be said.

"Do you really like it? Because I can put the other one on. It's gold, floor length..."

"No, I think you should wear a short dress. It will be a warm night. Sookie, Jesus, Wow."

She was blushing as he took her in from head to toe. His daydreaming was soon called to an end as Pam was ushering her back to the stall so she could change into her street clothes. Eric was happy that dress shopping was over now, but depressed when Pam announced that it was now time to find proper shoes. He pulled Pam out back to the lobby, out of earshot of Sookie.

"Pam, how about you take Sookie shoe shopping and I steal away to buy her something shiny to match?"

"Good idea, Casanova. Might I suggest a bracelet? She won't need a necklace with that shoulder strap, and we already decided that it would look perfect with my diamond studs, which I'm more than happy to loan her. Cartier is just a few blocks that way and Tiffany's is two blocks in the other direction. Send me a photo before you buy anything so I can give you my opinion."

"You mean permission?"

"Po-tay-to, Po-tah-to. Now go. I guess we'll all just meet up at the hotel."

"Sounds good to me."

He was out the door, walking the distance to Cartier. He wouldn't even consider going to Tiffany's after seeing the magazine in Sookie's bag. It was not something he wanted to think about at the moment; he wouldn't let it ruin his amazing trip with Sookie. It was their first vacation together and everything was going perfectly.

As he walked the streets of Beverly Hills, his mind was working overtime. He thought he and Sookie were in a perfect place for a couple that had been dating for six months. To even consider getting married at this point was completely out of the question. He wasn't even sure if he ever wanted to get remarried. He knew that he loved Sookie, and could imagine a life together, but did it necessarily mean that they needed to get married?

He stepped into the store, orienting himself to the layout to find the perfect bracelet. He wanted it to look great on the red carpet, but also be something she could wear back home for a fancy night out. He walked around the countless cases, trying to figure out the difference between the many styles and more importantly, which would look best on her wrist.

His wanderings found him directly in front of the engagement ring display. Rows of diamond rings shone before him, tempting him into making a purchase. Could this really be what Sookie wants? He closed his eyes, trying to calm down but all he could see is Sookie walking towards him in a white dress. He shook his head to clear it when a quiet voice brought him back to the here and now.

"Hi, I'm Jennifer; can I help you find something?"

He stared at her for a moment as if she had asked the question in a foreign language. "Um, yes, actually. I'm trying to find a bracelet for my girlfriend."

"Well, these are rings; the bracelets are back over here. Let me show you." She gave him a sympathetic look; she had to deal with clueless boyfriends and husbands often enough.

She led him to a case with a variety of designs and he felt lost, wondering if he should have brought Pam along for this challenge. It seemed that Jennifer could read his mind, at least his confusion.

"Bangles and cuff style bracelets are very popular right now." She opened the case, pulling out a few different styles for him to examine. She put a few on her own wrist so he could see how it would look on a person as opposed to just sitting on the table. When she slid the third choice over her wrist, his eyes lit up.

It was a thick cuff, between one and two inches thick, covered in pave-set diamonds. Paired with the jeweled strap of her dress, it would look perfect. He took it from Jennifer's wrist, and caught a glimpse of the price tag. He made the wise decision not to show Sookie that part.

Jennifer went to get a gift box while he was paying. While he waited for his credit card to process, he kept looking back at the engagement rings. He was dreading the conversation with Sookie when he had to reveal he was simply not ready to get married again yet. He feared he would lose her if she knew he was not ready to take that step, but it was something they needed to sort out now.

* * *

The next evening, they were both dressing for the big event. He never attended the first premiere and was excited to be experiencing this with Sookie. He tried his best to hide his anxiety at the pending conversation when he had to break her heart. A wedding was something every little girl looked forward to. He remembered the planning process with Felicia and how she glowed with joy at everything from choosing bridesmaid dresses to flower arrangements. Who was he to take that from Sookie? He planned to tell her that he wasn't taking marriage off the table, that it was just something he wasn't ready for yet. Maybe in the future they would be ready to walk down the aisle as man and wife. She just needed to exercise patience, which was not exactly her forte.

Once again while dressing formally; she had to take it upon herself to fix his tie. Her nimble fingers made quick work of the slip of silk. She took the chance to tease him, letting her fingers graze the column of his neck. He looked down at her face, a naughty smile gracing her lips. He caught her chin in his fingers, kissing her, tasting the sweet flavor of her lip gloss.

"Now I have to fix my face, not that I'm complaining. Kissing you is always worth it." She pressed another kiss to his lips before returning to the mirror to put on the final touches.

Pam knocked at the door to their hotel room before letting herself in. As she cracked the door open, she shouted into the suite, "I'm coming in, please don't be naked again." She learned from her mistake earlier in the week when she just strolled into find them in a very compromising position on the couch.

"Well if it isn't James Blond himself. Don't you look dapper?" Pam looked glamorous as well, in a jewel toned pant suit showing just enough cleavage to still look professional. "And Sookie, you're a vision in plum. Now, let's head out. Don't want to be late for your own premiere."

"One more thing." Eric pulled the gift box from its hiding spot and Sookie's eyes lit up. She tore the bow from the box, lifting the top slowly to reveal the shining band.

"Oh, Eric, it's beautiful!" She slipped the bangle around her wrist, noticing it was a perfect fit. She held her arm out in front of her, examining her new gift. "I love it. I would kiss you, but that would mean redoing my makeup again."

She wrapped her arms around him, and he placed a kiss at the junction of her shoulder and neck. "Now we're ready to go."

The limo had them at the theater in ten minutes. As they exited, they were met with the blinding light of flash bulbs from the waiting photographers. Eric and Sookie posed for pictures before Pam ushered them down farther to the waiting reporters so Eric could answer a few questions. He did so, holding Sookie's hand tight the entire time.

They met up with the cast at the end of the carpet for a few group shots. When the photo call was over, they made their way to their seats in the theater, right next to Stan and Isabel. They caught up with the pair while Stan shared the whirlwind of interviews he had been doing.

Luckily, the studio had not asked Eric to go on all the late night shows as well. His advertising was limited to several book signings and readings around Southern California. They viewed him just as source material; he didn't have much say in the production of the movies. He trusted the team to put out a good product, his sole input being his stamp of approval on the script. That was, of course, to his benefit now. He got to enjoy a week's vacation with Sookie with the most stressful aspect being finding Sookie a dress, and of course the heart attack-inducing discovery of the magazine.

After the movie was the after party. They didn't stay long, just enough to make the rounds. It marked their last night in California and they both wanted to make the best of it. They made their way back to the hotel room, Sookie leading Eric to the bedroom immediately. She shoved him down to the bed, straddling his waist. They were kissing as she unwound his tie and fought with the buttons of his shirt. She was grinding against him when she realized there was nothing to grind against. She sat up, giving him a sour expression.

"Are you okay? You've been acting weird for the past two days and now you can't get it up. I figured you were just stressed out because of the opening tonight, but that's all over now. What's going on in that big head of yours?"

He sighed, bringing his hands to run along her back as she lay down, cuddling his chest. He decided just to let it all spill, he'd deal with the consequences later. "I'm not ready to get married."

She shot up, completely puzzled. "Well then don't ask me to marry you, duh. Trust me, I'm old fashioned, I'm not going to ask you. But seriously, Eric, where did that come from?"

"I found the catalog with all the engagement rings in your bag. I figured you were picking one out which meant you wanted to get married. You even had a few circled!"

"I was picking one out."

"But…"

"For Jason to give Crystal. He knocked her up, so he's doing the right thing and marrying her. He has no clue when it comes to rings and asked me to help choose the right one."

"Oh."

"Oh is right, mister. You can't jump to conclusions like that. We've only been going out a few months, and I'm perfectly happy with the way things are. I don't want to get married right now either."

"Well, good. That means we're on the same page."

"But..."

"I'm not going to like that 'but' am I?"

She looked up at him, her question on the tip of her tongue, begging to spill forth. "Sookie, you can ask me anything. I'll answer honestly, but I can't promise you'll like what I say."

"Do you ever want to get married again?"

"I don't know. I do know that I love you, and I love living with you, spending everyday with you. I just don't know if I need a piece of paper to tell me that I love you. I've done all the rituals before."

"But I haven't. I want the white dress, the walk down the aisle, the first dance, the honeymoon."

"How does this sound, we'll wait until it feels right to make a decision. It's obvious now is not that time."

"And we'll talk to each other instead of hiding the things that freak us out."

"Is that your oh-so subtle way of telling me I should apologize?"

The look in her eyes was all the answer he needed. "Angelic Sookie, vision of love and beauty, I offer my most humble of apologies at offending your trusting nature."

She broke down in hysterical laughter, exacerbated by Eric flipping her over on her back and tickling her. Their wrestling soon turned to writhing against the other as soon as his mouth found the sweet, tender places she loved to be kissed on her neck. She moaned, clutching his head to her.

"You're way too good at making me forget why I was mad at you."

"You were never mad at me, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You went through my things and when you found something you didn't like you, oh God, Eric, don't stop." Eric learned early on that nibbling on Sookie's nipples was a quick way to get her to stop talking.

He slid her dress the rest of the way down her body, leaving her in her lace panties. Those too found their way to the floor. He leaned back from her prone body, sitting on the opposite side of the bed. He slowly finished unbuttoning his shirt, bringing his hand up in a pausing gesture as she tried to come to him.

"Why, Mr. Northman, are you giving me a strip tease?"

"That depends on how many singles you have in that big bag of crazy."

He worked the shirt off his shoulders, humming out the stereotypical strip tease melody. She was having a fit of giggles, as she settled against the pillows and headboard. Stretching out his long legs, he pulled off each sock, tossing each of them over his shoulder. He rose to his knees, unbuckling his belt, pulling it from the loops of his pants with a snap. They locked eyes as he undid the button and lowered the zipper of his pants.

Eric worked his pants and boxer briefs over his hips, still holding her gaze until he was in the same state of undress as she was. He crawled up the bed, pressing his body into hers, feeling their flesh mold together, fitting perfectly like pieces of a puzzle.

He kissed up her neck, nibbling the shell of her ear. He whispered, purposely letting his warm breath pass over her sensitive skin. "I'll love you forever, Sookie. No ring, dress, or ceremony will ever say that as loud or as often as I can. I intend to show you everyday just how much you mean to me."

In between gasps of air, she found the words to respond. "I love you, too. You're stuck with me, with or without it being legal. I want you so bad right now. Please, I need you."

He entered her, savoring every sensation that was shooting through his body, her fingernails digging into his biceps letting him know she was feeling them too. They moved together slowly, simply enjoying the other's body. She wrapped her legs around his waist, holding him to her, burying him deeper on every thrust. They found that perfect angle and she cried out; eyes closed, head tilted back in pure ecstasy.

He buried his face in her neck, inhaling her sweet scent, willing his body to hold out longer so this feeling never had to stop. He felt her muscles clenching around him, heard her breathing quicken, moans growing louder. Their bodies and minds were connected, no true words being said, just grunts and sounds of pleasure. Words weren't needed, both knew what the other wanted and needed.

Her released washed over her, bringing her to a higher plane of existence. It started in the tips of her toes, exiting her body from each strand of hair. She felt as if she was out of her body, as if she was in a place where there was nothing else except for her and Eric. He came moments later, joining her in a state of bliss that could never be compared.

They separated begrudgingly, keeping their legs and hands intertwined. The smiles on their faces spoke to their moods and states of mind. She looked deep into his eyes, kissing the tip of his nose.

"Now that was perfect. This, what we have, is perfect and it always will be."

**A/N2: Wow, this crazy journey is actually over. I want to say that I absolutely loved writing this story. It was my first writing in a long time, my first venture into SVM. I want to say thank you to everyone who read, especially those who reviewed or added alerts. Your encouragement really pushed me to write more, to push myself harder to put out a perfect product. You are all amazing!**

**I couldn't have done this without my beta, chisaii-kitty. She was there with me at every step, offering encouragement, advice and a hint of snark.**

**If you like my writing, please go check out my new story, What It Means To Forget. You can find the link in my profile. As I've said, I do intend to write a sequel to this story, but not for a while. I would like to focus on one story at a time so you, the reader, get the best product available. Feel free to add me as an author alert so you can find out ASAP when my newest stories come out. **

**Ciao for now, kiddies! I'll see you around.**


End file.
